Professor Strife
by Basilton
Summary: Denzel stumbles into the past, Cloud follows to protect his son. The Crisis is beginning again, but as head of the science department Cloud can change it. Before, the world was saved by the lives of millions. This time, can he save those lives as well?
1. Death of a Scienceman

_Author's notes: A huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed, faved or just read this fic over the last year! Without you all, I think this would have just ended up in another abandoned folder on my hard drive._

_If you haven't read this fic before however, I hope you enjoy it!_

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 1: Death of a Scienceman  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,467

Warnings: this fic may contain violence, gore and adult situations

For all the monstrosities buried behind locked and barred doors, for all the greed hiding behind neatly pressed suits and all the madness clothed in human form, Shinra's excesses were hidden behind a shield of corporate banality. A man made bland by the ubiquitous lab coat, thick glasses and slicked back blond hair, the research assistant was just the latest in a long line of cogs in the machine of the science department.

Waving an ID badge at the guards - they barely offered a nod in return - he solemnly pushed through the thick double doors leading to Hojo's lab. Professor Hojo was one of the five great legends of Shinra, the head of the science department and twisted mind behind the SOLDIER project. It was his plans that culminated in Sephiroth, Shinra's greatest living weapon and the man currently leading their offensive against the upstart nation of Wutai. But to the employees of the science department, he was known as the assignment of no return. An intern could count themselves lucky if they returned with health and sanity intact from a rotation into Hojo's lab.

The assistant lingered at the entrance of the room while the doors slowly flapped shut behind him. This laboratory looked much like any other in Shinra, but there was always a faint presence that no amount of disinfectant or chemical bath could ever remove. It smelled of death and worse, of unnatural things that should never have been thought of let alone pursued.

The stench was hanging fresh in the air today. On a blood soaked operating table in the center of the room a poor creature had met its end, skin peeled back and pinned down with tall needles, a scalpel still lodged in its exposed ribcage. Next to the table was a small desk and workstation, the villain of Shinra's research department hunched over the keyboard as he worked. For all the fear he evoked, Professor Hojo was a small weedy man, thin and bespectacled with greasy hair pulled back into a tight ponytail.

The assistant took a few steady, shaky breaths to calm himself and approached the desk. It was not the look of Hojo that was intimidating, but his reputation of cruelty and malice. The vivisected animal lying ignored behind him was proof enough that it was a reputation well deserved.

"Hmph. Finally you get here," the professor said in his nasal voice. "Make yourself useful and clean up the specimen."

With his orders given, Hojo turned his back on the assistant and buried himself back in his work.

The research assistant took off his glasses, dropping them on the edge of the operating table. The creature looked nearly humanoid, with an almost spherical body and small head, with four short limbs still strapped down to the table. The leather restraints had been twisted and stretched under its struggles, splashing blood all over the table and floor. It seemed the creature had still been alive while its skin had been peeled off, the operation only being abandoned when the struggling animal had finally succumbed. The scalpel looked like it had only been dug in as a lazy way of putting it down.

With a hesitant grip, the assistant plucked the scalpel from its bloody sheath and turned back to the professor.

With a quick step forward he grabbed the professor by the front of the shirt, fist closing around his tie and hauled the man to his feet. With a perfect line he brought the scalpel across the man's vulnerable throat, slitting open the thin flesh with a gasp and brief spray of blood. Taken by surprise with the sudden assault, Hojo lurched back, tripping over his own chair and only staying upright by the strong grip on the front of his clothes. Panicking, his hand dived into his lab coat, searching desperately for the handgun strapped to his side. The scalpel came in again, jabbing through his rib cage and lodging the blade deep into his chest.

"Wh-" Hojo barely managed to say, mouth spitting gore.

His assailant gave him no answer, kneeling down next to him in silence as he went through the last death throes. With calm precision, he opened up the side of the professor's coat and pulled out the keycard clipped on to his belt. He stood, flipping the keycard on to the bench before he turned to one of the industrial sinks lining the wall and washed his hands of the task, ensuring that his own spotless coat was clean of any of the expected blood spatters. Satisfied that he no longer needed it, he rinsed his hair of the oppressive gel, running his fingers through his blond locks until all the gunk had been washed down the sink and his hair was back to his natural though unusual spikes.

With a quick drying of his hands and hair he turned back to the desk, stepping over the body of the late Professor Hojo and nonchalantly picking up his glasses as he sat down in front of the scientist's prized workstation. Noting with satisfaction that he was still logged into the more sensitive areas, he began his work with all the confidence of a man who knew in advance what he was looking for. Files were opened, diaries searched, each one contributing to the growing stack of paper that was accumulating on the printer.

Too soon, the doors to the lab swung open.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Professor, but-"

He turned to see the intruder, instantly recognising the navy blue suit of a Turk, part of Shinra's espionage and thuggery division. Already the side of the jacket was being opened, the gun drawn with eerie speed.

"Security!" The Turk yelled through the door, banging with his fist on the frame. He turned back to the blond researcher, his gun pointing directly as his head. "Who are you?"

"Cloud," he said while raised his hands in surrender. He recognised Tseng as soon as he saw the black ponytail sway into view, just before the man himself walked up the dais, though the Wutaian man's features were far younger than he remembered. "Tseng, I need to talk to the president." He nodded to the stacks of paper that were still sliding out of the printer. "I have something he needs to see."

It was then that the security guards burst into the room, both of them moving up to flank either side of Tseng with their rifles steadily aimed at Cloud's head. That seemed to relax Tseng and he slid his weapon back into the jacket holster, stopping his advance just short of Cloud. "You'll come with me."

Cloud nodded, not letting his hands drop as the Turk turned him around, pulling a thick pair of handcuffs from his jacket pocket and securing Cloud's hands behind his back. Tseng remained silent through the process, though he could feel the tension rolling off the Turk, easily imagining that the demands for more information were only being held back by his sense of duty. For his own part, Cloud remained plaint throughout his arrest, keeping his eyes cast down while the two infantrymen put a hand on both of his arms and led him out of the room.

Jumpy security forces greeted them as they exited the lab, more of the standard Shinra infantry in their blue uniforms and tri-eyed helmets taking up positions outside in the corridor. They lowered their rifles as Cloud was dragged out, several of them standing to attention and saluting the Turk as he passed behind them on vigilant guard.

"All good, Tseng?"

Leaning against the wall at the end of the formation was a familiar lanky figure, an unkempt ponytailed redhead loosely dressed in the blue suit of a Turk. Cloud made a point not to look the man in the eyes; Reno, behind his simple facade of the messy slacker, was one of the sharper of the Turks. His glasses would not be able to hide the telltale glow of his mako eyes for long and it was a question he did not want to have to answer before his meeting with the president. If the Turks knew he was mako enhanced they may assume he would be able to kill the president and any of his guards before they had a chance to stop him. They would be correct, but if they refused to let him see the president, his plan would be over before it begun. Luckily, Tseng gave only a silent nod, the procession passing by without any more undue scrutiny.

From his not so fond memories of the Shinra building, it did not take long for Cloud to figure out where he was being taken. For reasons best left unsaid, the 67th floor not only contained the headquarters and labs of the science department, but also a substantial number of jail cells - ones that he had become intimately familiar with during the rescue of Aerith. Hallucinations, his connection with the Lifestream and the future he left behind, it was impossible to tell what it was anymore yet he couldn't help but catch faint glimpses of blood, trailing from the exact spots the guards were standing and smeared in hideous lines down the corridor. Noting with some sense of irony that they had chosen the same cell he had been imprisoned in previously, he was shoved inside without a word.

The mechanical door of the cell sliding closed with a final clunk, Cloud was finally left alone since the first time he had infiltrated the Shinra headquarters. He let his mask slip and his shoulders sink, finally allowed a moment to relax and the weight of the world to lift, just for a moment.

"_Pssst... Cloud. Can we get out?_"

Cloud sat down on the hard seat, trying not to look at the faintly shimmering outline of Tifa from the corner of his eye. He knew that if he turned to look she would just disappear and it was comforting to have her there, whether it was caused by his broken mind or not.

"_I knew that you'd come for me._"

"I didn't come for you, Aerith," he whispered to the apparition.

No, there was only one reason he had came, one person he had come for.

~o~o~o~o~

"He found one of Shinra's abandoned experiments," Vincent had explained to him as they sat at the bar of Seventh Heaven. His friend had been hesitant to explain what had happened, a nervous encounter that was so out of character for the confidant gunman. All Cloud knew was that it was about Denzel and the paranoia of a father knew no bounds.

"_Vincent._" He was almost grinding his teeth at the delay. "Get to the point."

"He jumped into a pool of mako."

"_What_? Why?" A hundred questions were ready to go in his mind, sorted in order of importance and itching to pass the bottleneck of his mouth. By sheer fluke, he had summed up most of them in those two words.

"There was a hatch in the floor, a tube leading down into a vortex of mako. That was where the glow was coming from. As to why-" Vincent had pulled out a whole folder of documents, with one carefully placed on the top. "I turned the place inside out, but I found what I needed."

Neither of them were strangers to trying to sift through the documents of scientists and madmen, where each piece of information could be so painfully detailed that it made no sense to anyone outside the experiments. Teams would spend weeks combing through minutiae of statistics, feeding times, dosage levels and never understand what had happened there - and that was for experiments without the secrecy and paranoia that had become so typical of Shinra's Science Department. But there was one document where it was all laid bare and explained for even the simplest of minds: a funding request.

_I have found further evidence that the Cetra successfully used this same method. Records found near the site corroborate my theory of extinction: a virus that all records name "the Calamity" was decimating the population despite their powers of healing. [Modeoheim excavation, p. 8] It is my theory that the Cetra used this as a means to travel back in time to stop the virus before it had started. Records indicate that although the travel was successful, each attempt to halt the virus only made it more virulent. [Modeoheim excavation, p.46]_

The "travel back in time" part was where Cloud had pulled the bottle of scotch from behind the bar. He wasn't really a drinker, but if there was ever a time when someone needed something with more kick than beer, this was it. Even Vincent hadn't turned down a tumbler full.

_Several rare materia are needed for the process, as such I request additional funds to acquire the following materia to begin trial runs._

_- Prof. Gast_

"He died before he could even send the request. Knowledge of the project died with him."

"Rare materia..." Cloud sighed and downed a mouthful of the amber liquid.

"If you check your lockbox, I think you will find those missing."

"But why did Denzel want to... travel back in time?" Even back then, just that phrase sounded idiotic.

"You know him better than I do. But," Vincent had paused dramatically, as he so often did. "Before it happened, he said he wanted to make things better. To make you happy."

It was at that point that the logic of a hero worshipping boy had caught up with him. To go back in time would mean being able to stop the horrors of Meteorfall, of all the atrocities Shinra had committed before and after. To save the people Cloud had lost: his mother, Zack, Aerith. To stop Sephiroth and save the world. Of course it wasn't that simple. Nevermind Denzel being unable to pull off those feats, being just a boy trying to take on supernaturally enhanced opponents, but the Crisis had brought around a great change in the planet and to prevent Sephiroth from threatening the planet with a quick death would leave it in the grip of a slow death at the hands of Shinra.

It had not taken long before he came to the decision to go after Denzel. He was always a man of action, preferring to do something foolish rather than do nothing at all. He would leave behind his friends, and although Vincent had offered to go with him, he declined and asked his friend not to let anyone else follow. The world no longer needed him, but Denzel did.

Leaving Tifa behind was the hardest part. For all the temptation to just leave Vincent to break the news to her, that was the coward's way out. That was the old Cloud, the one who would run rather than face reality. In the end, he could not do that to her, and called her as he made his way down the reactor that had housed the experiment.

"You know that I have to go."

_"What about the people you leave behind, Cloud? What about Marlene?"_

"You will always be there for her, and so will Barret. Denzel has no idea what he's getting into, he needs me."

_"You're running away again, Cloud." _He could hear the phone being put down as Tifa tried to wipe away tears, just as he used his finger to wipe away the small drops forming in his own eyes. "_But at least you're doing it for the right reasons this time. Promise me you'll come back to us."_

"I can't promise that. But I promise I will take care of Denzel."

_"I'll miss you, Cloud."_

He turned to look at Tifa, but as soon as he caught her eye she faded, leaving him back in his cell, alone.

~o~o~o~o~

It did not take many more hours of relaxed brooding for his captors to once again appear, this time both Rude and Tseng, accompanied by two more Shinra troopers, appearing in the opening doorway.

"President Shinra will see you. Come with us," Tseng said, both Turks standing rigid in the doorway as Cloud leisurely stood and joined his guards.

The layout of the building was not exactly the same as he remembered it. Without counting the lack of blood stains on the walls, there were less specimen cages, and the tank specially built for holding Jenova was mercifully absent. She was likely still in Nibelheim, primed there as the catalyst to a plan that would destroy his world.

The antechamber to the president's office was in no such state of flux. Red carpet and polished wood, the path to his office gilded like stairs to the temple of an ancient, self-proclaimed god-king. The secretaries paid them no notice, letting the procession pass while hurriedly hunched over keyboards.

Upon first sight of the president's office, Cloud had to hurriedly shake away a vision of the future: President Shinra's rotund corpse skewered to the desk, Sephiroth's iconic sword buried in his back. Instead the president was sitting down by his desk, a tall women in a lab coat leaning over his shoulder and whispering in his ear. From her tidy brown hair pulled back into a tidy ponytail and round bespectacled face, Cloud could vaguely remember her as Professor Rayleigh, the scientist he had been assigned to protect as a Shinra trooper over a decade ago. Both Rayleigh and President Shinra stopped the briefing and looked up as their little entourage entered the room.

"Cloud, was it?" The president took a long drag of his cigar, eyeing the blond up and down. "I've had your execution scheduled for later this week. I hope that suits."

Cloud bristled, rolling his shoulders as he stared down the president. _Snap the cuffs, one fist in each Turk's face. Jump the desk, you can break his neck before he blinks._ He forced the thought down. No, he still had a chance to work his way inside Shinra. "You don't care that Hojo was a traitor?" he asked, swallowing the hatred he felt for the disgusting lump of a man.

"Yes, yes, these documents were all very interesting. But Hojo has been vital to this company, despite his… extracurricular experiments."

Cloud tried to hold back his smile. He had the president's attention now, despite the uninterested face he was putting on. The president had never understood the work that Hojo was doing, only the results. If he could blind the president with science, he could portray Hojo as incompetent, thus most importantly in the president's eyes: expendable.

"His experiments were a game of genetic pin the tail on the donkey," he said. "Any success he had was the result of Gast and properties of the Jenova virus."

"Yet he got results. He was an asset, Mr. Cloud." Shinra leaned forward, stubbing his cigar out in the bottom of a crystal ashtray. "I decide when Shinra's assets become liabilities, no one else."

"He was using Jenova cells to keep the SOLDIERs in check - but also to control them. To control Sephiroth. What do you think he would do when he could control Sephiroth?"

With his heightened senses he could feel the nervous shifting, minute as it was, of the Turks behind him. But his proclamation did not have the desired effect on the president, though whether is was through bravery or stupidity it was hard to tell. The idea of having Sephiroth turn against them was unsettling even to the most stoic, but this was not Cloud's exaggeration. Sephiroth would turn.

"Even if Hojo were as bad as you say," the president said, clipping the end of his cigar. "I see no reason to keep you alive."

"I know how to develop your SOLDIERs. I can keep the project running without wasting your money on useless experiments that turn powerful people against you."

"And just what are you suggesting?"

"I wanted revenge, for what Hojo did to me. I want to make sure that everyone knows he was an imbecile playing at being a scientist. But more than that," Cloud leaned down on the desk, handcuff links clattering against the wood, fixing the president with his most intense stare. "I want his job."

The room fell silent in extreme tension, the Turks ready to haul their prisoner off the president's desk but unsure if they should proceed.

"His life, his reputation and his job," the president said, throwing his head back with laughter. "You are a bold man, Mr. Cloud. I like your ambition. Very well. I will postpone your execution. Who knows, if you're up to the job, I may call it off completely."


	2. Orientation

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 2: Orientation  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 4,249

"Goddamn thing," Reno grumbled as he jammed his fingers into the keypad for the third time. The Turk had been with him since leaving the president's office, ostensibly to be acting as a guide and bodyguard to the science department's new director.

Bodyguard, perhaps, but guide was a blatant lie. After getting lost twice and requiring that Cloud guide him the rest of the way through the Science Department to his new office, Cloud was beginning to wonder just how Reno got his job in the first place.

"Let me do it," Cloud said, shoving the keycard back into the lock and entering the combination they'd been given. Reno gave him a small shrug and sheepish grin when the door opened with a click.

"It's been cleaned out," Cloud noted as he stepped into the room. Everything looked new, from the oversized walnut desk to the expensive leather chair tucked under the computer screen. Even the bookshelves lining the wall were empty, not a document nor manual in sight.

"Yup. Cleaners work fast around here."

_Or the Turks do._

"This was actually Hollander's office," Reno went on. "Hojo didn't really keep an office, but he worked closer to the research labs."

"This is in the hospital," Cloud realised.

"You know your way around the place," Reno said.

Cloud narrowed his eyes. Reno hadn't been getting lost, he had just been testing how familiar he was with the place.

"You said you were a doctor, right? We thought it'd suit you better."

"A doctor? I… ah, yeah," Cloud said with a resigned sigh. He had taken on many mantles: warrior, mercenary, terrorist. Doctor was just the latest in a long line of titles he had been given but he had never been able to wear comfortably.

Healer maybe fit better, considering his aptitude with a Cure materia, but to him that title had belonged to Aerith and Aerith alone. Perhaps medic, like he had been over a decade ago when he had been part of the Shinra infantry. But like the others, it was a job that he had been chosen for him.

~o~o~o~o~

"Ow! OW! Dammit, Cloud, it hurts!"

"Shh, shh. Denzel," Cloud pressed his forearm against the boy's chest, pinning him down to the bed. "You need to stop moving. I'm going to get it out, but you need to be calm. Can you do that for me?"

Denzel nodded, his face already two shades too pale. "I'm scared, Cloud."

Cloud just nodded. He was beyond terrified himself, but he just couldn't let it show. He had plenty of experience stitching up battle wounds, but never on someone so young. He had nearly died from shock himself when Denzel had dragged himself into their home, trailing blood from the thick pipe impaled through his chest.

"I got it! I got it," Tifa huffed, bursting through the door with the first aid kit from Cloud's motorcycle. "Oh gods." She put her hand to her mouth as she took in the sight, Denzel lying still and deathly pale on a bed soaked with blood.

"He's going to be fine," Cloud lied, snatching the kit from Tifa's waiting hands and ripping it open, spilling the contents over the bed. "I'm gonna get it out, then I'm gonna cast a heal that'll make Aerith jealous. Got me?"

Snatching up the rubbing alcohol, he straddled Denzel's legs, pinning them down to the bed. "Tifa, hold him down." Brushing a gentle hand against the boy's cheek, Cloud looked carefully into his trembling eyes. He was sure the tears he saw there were mirrored in his own eyes. "Denzel, this is going to hurt, but it'll be all over after that. Okay?" Denzel nodded when Tifa's strong hands gripped both his shoulders.

Cloud gripped a hand around the offending metal bar and with a heavy heart, pulled. Denzel screamed and trashed. Cloud threw the bar aside and pressed down hard on the wound, blood seeping in between his fingers. His hands were soon enveloped with a soothing green glow, tiny sparkles of lifestream dancing about until they sunk into Denzel's bloody shoulder. At last, the bleeding had stopped.

"It's okay Denzel, you can sleep now." He nodded to Tifa, who leaned down to whisper soft words in the boy's ear, sending him off to a materia induced slumber.

"Tell me the truth Cloud, is he going to be alright?"

"He'll live, that's what matters." Upending the rubbing alcohol into a cotton swab, he began to clean around the wound. "But I need to make sure this will heal properly."

"But using materia on someone so young, what will it do to him?" Dropping to her knees beside the bed, Tifa leaned into Denzel, brushing the hair away from his slumbering face.

"I don't know. But I can't risk him dying."

Tifa nodded, taking up a cloth herself and wiping the blood from the boy's skin. Satisfied that he had cleaned up the wound enough to prevent infection, Cloud started carefully wrapping up Denzel's chest in heavy cloth bandages.

"Thank you, Cloud." Letting out a heavy sigh, Tifa rested her weary and worried head against his shoulder.

Barely an hour later and Cloud was sitting at the deserted bar of Seventh Heaven, head bowed low while one hand swirled an untouched glass of whisky, the ice long since melted. Denzel was sleeping upstairs- before joining him down in the bar Tifa had painstakingly ensured that all signs of the blood had been washed from Denzel, his clothes and the sheets. All that was left was a pile of laundry permanently stained crimson.

"I don't think you were meant to be a delivery boy, Cloud." Tifa was leaning behind the bar, cloth in one hand cleaning out glasses that were long past needing cleaning. It was a nervous habit of bartenders everywhere, one she had picked up from many long, awkward conversations with drunk patrons.

"What?" Cloud raised his head slightly, his train of brooding derailed by Tifa's softly spoken words.

"When did you learn to heal like that? Reeve is asking for as many healers as he can get, you know that."

"It was when the Geostigma came..."

"Those books you had in your office," she interrupted, the pieces finally fitting together.

"They were medical books. Diseases, mostly. But anything I could find." Finally taking a bitter swig of the amber liquor, Cloud grimaced. Every sense of his, including taste, had been enhanced by the mako. It made the cheap swill that Tifa was able to source hard to swallow.

"Did you keep reading them?"

"They were interesting, and it seemed useful. Back in Nibelheim..." He took another half-hearted swig.

"There wasn't much in the way of education." Sometimes she had to finish sentences for Cloud, either to complete the puzzle before he drifted away, or just to stop him from getting lost in his own thoughts. His head was a favourite place for him to hide. "But that shouldn't stop you," she continued, trying to steer the conversation back on course. "The world needs people to help the injured more than it needs delivered packages."

"I like delivering packages." The voice was sullen, almost petulant. The last ditch attempt of a man trying not to give in to a woman's will.

"You like travelling." Tifa sighed. It was true, as far as he had come in accepting his new family Cloud would always value his solitude. After Geostigma, he had promised Tifa he would always come back... but that also meant he would always leave in the first place. "You'd be doing just as much to get to the sick."

"I'll think about it." Cloud took another sip of alcohol, his grimace not half as severe this time. It may have been bad, but it tasted better the more that he drank.

"How about getting some training?" Tifa pressed on, ignoring the annoyed stare she received. "Even if you decide not to, you could help so many people on your deliveries if you had training."

"Alright, I'll do it." He threw his hands up in the air in sarcastic theatrics.

"Great!" Tifa beamed. "So, I called Reeve before you came down and he said there's a doctor that's willing to train you, so I booked..."

Cloud groaned, dropping his face into his hands.

~o~o~o~o~

"Just look straight ahead, sir, and... there." The blinding flash of the office camera left Cloud blinking in confusion, only able to hear the whirring of an industrial printer as he worked the bright spots out of his eyes. The bored woman at the reception desk gave a quarter-hearted, I've-been-at-the-same-job-twenty-years kind of a smile as his vision returned. "There, you go, Mr. Strife..." She gave the ID badge a quick once-over, eyes widening and stance stiffening once her eyes had located 'Director, Science Research Department' on the card. "Please, if there's anything at all I can do to help, don't hesitate to ask." She beamed, smile ratcheting up to sycophantic proportions.

With a quiet word of thanks Cloud took the badge, pinning it to the pocket of his newly acquired suit. His aversion to lab coats had led him to discard his 'borrowed' one, instead using his lavish new expenses account, to - at Reno's insistence - buy a pricey new three-piece from one of the upper plate's more expensive tailors. While he had been resistant to the idea at first, he was starting to see why the Turks liked the standard business suit just in terms of sheer practicality. It was loose enough that it wouldn't be getting in his way in combat and if it wasn't for his hair he would blend in perfectly with the crowds that milled around the Shinra building.

"All good, Dr. S?" Reno pushed away from the wall and joined Cloud as they walked back to the central elevator.

His behaviour had obviously puzzled Reno when they first met. Besides his method of getting the new position - Reno had seen enough as a Turk to know that executive power in Shinra acted more like a feudal monarchy than a corporation - the executives of Shinra had enough paranoia between them to make up for the rest of the planet, so for this one to be completely nonchalant, and well, _cool_was beyond curious. They had spent most of the day together, getting all the mundane tasks of settling into a new job out of the way: setting up an office, an apartment, bank account, computer access and mobile phone - it turned out the guy didn't even own the clothes on his back, so they had to buy them too. Yet despite their time together and Reno's calculated needling, he still hadn't started unwrapping the puzzle that was Cloud.

Reno shouldered through the opening elevator, ignoring the indignant squawk from a man trying to exit. "Hey, I'm starving," he said as he slouched against the wall of the elevator. "Let's get some dinner."

Sparing a glance at the poor man to make sure he hadn't fallen, Cloud hurried into the elevator cab. "I was going to eat alone."

"Nah, only sad bastards eat alone. Besides, I've haven't eaten upper plate in ages." His voice had taken on a distinctive whine, one that in the past - or future, semantics were very unclear here - always preceded a declaration that it was Cloud's turn to buy lunch, get the next round (even if Cloud didn't drink) or fight the rapidly approaching monster.

"If you want to go to a restaurant, then go." Cloud's voice likewise had taken on the distinctive tone that he was about to cave, just to prevent further whining from the man. Luckily this Reno did not have experience with that voice, but it didn't mean he wasn't going to cave anyway.

"Haven't you seen what they pay us plebs? I don't make in a year what you make in a month, and I'm putting my life on the line everyday!"

Cloud just raised his eyebrow at the Reno's insistence of the dangers of his job. He knew better than most what being a Turk involved, but he had just today continued the trend of the head of the science department meeting a bloody end.

"Alright," Reno conceded to the silent point. "But you're still paying."

"Fine." Cloud sighed. He was getting hungry himself at this point, and he did enjoy spending time with Reno. Even if most of it was back and forth bickering.

"Great!" Reno practically skipped out as the elevator dinged their floor, opening its metal doors to the executive car park. Turning back to flash a lopsided grin, he headed towards Cloud's new car. "I know this place that's never crowded because it's too far away from a train station, I did a job once that..."

Cloud tuned out Reno's happy babbling as they walked over to his new car. A car that Reno had picked, Reno had tested and Cloud had still yet to drive. He didn't even know if it was his car in paper, let alone in spirit. A blocky, big-engined sedan with leather seats and a dash with more dials than a helicopter. It was Reno's sort of car, a complicated yet powerful beast that took a quick mind to tame. Cloud on the other hand hated a vehicle that was just a cage with a million controls. A motorcycle, _his_Fenrir needed no taming. It responded to his body like an attentive lover, interpreting his subtle movements, moving with just the slightest squeeze and on more than one occasion making it hard to sit down after long periods of riding.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?" Reno said indignantly, snapping his fingers in front of Cloud's face.

"Yeah, fine." Cloud didn't even flinch at the fingers as he dismissed Reno with a shrug, opening the passenger door of the car and getting in. Once again Reno had subtly manoeuvred himself into driving - he couldn't care enough to object.

"So, I have to ask," Reno said, giving a quick glance to his passenger before twisting the keys and firing up the powerful engine. "It wasn't just Hojo's job, was it? You had another reason to off him."

"If you spent any time with the man, you'd have the same urge."

Reno laughed. "Ok, that's true."

The journey to the restaurant was the same back and forth. Reno would ask a question, subtle or direct, often a different angle to a question he got an unsatisfactory answer to, which counted nearly all of them. Cloud would respond with an answer he already knew, which was unhelpful, or an answer that deflected the question, which was annoying. Always his reply would be short and controlled, betraying nothing of the man or his motives. It was if he knew all of Reno's tricks, and that was just beyond irritating to the Turk.

"Seriously, you sneak into the most secure level of Shinra Headquarters, kill one of the top five people in the company, demand his job _and then get it_," Reno said as they both stepped out of the car and into the bitter cold of a Midgar night. For a brief moment, his tone had slipped from frustration to more than a little admiration.

"Maybe the president saw that Hojo was a liability." Another answer that told him nothing. Reno muttered as he pushed open the restaurant door.

"Reservation for Reno," he said to the doorman as they entered, who swallowed back his nervousness upon seeing the distinctive blue suit and promptly led them to their private booth, Cloud self-consciously tucking his ID badge into his pocket as they walked.

The food was worthy of the reputation the restaurant had in Reno's eyes, and halfway through the first course Cloud was beginning to enjoy himself. Shellfish was an expensive commodity in landlocked Midgar, but it had a taste that even the notoriously cheap Cloud could appreciate paying for. The drinks were likewise exceptional, premium beers that made Tifa's best look like chocobo piss in comparison. He had always known there was a huge divide between the rich and the poor in Midgar, between those above and below the plate. But he had never known what above-plate life was like before, having spent all his time in the army or in the slums. After Meteor, things had become balanced. There were still people who were still rich, and people who were still poor, but after that great calamity, the rich were more hard working and less decadent, the poor were less oppressed and able to fend for themselves.

"So, where did you grow up?" Reno's question caught him out of his musings, another delve into introspection that he couldn't afford while being watched.

Putting down a particularly juicy king prawn he was just about to eat, Cloud replied, "A small town near Corel."

"Nibelheim, right? It said on your records."

Cloud stopped for a moment, trying to remember when he had told anyone he was from there. Still, there was no use denying it now, if they knew. "Yeah."

"But it also said you were fourteen and a trooper recruit." Reno leaned back on the bench seat, letting the leather groan satisfyingly around him. He shot Cloud one of his appraising looks, as if he was trying to size someone up for the first time, to see what he had missed. "Is Cloud even your real name? It sounds too stupid to make up."

Levelling his best glare at the redhead, Cloud leaned into the table. "I'm buying you dinner and you're insulting me. Shut up and eat." There were no traces of threat in his low voice. He didn't need them.

"Sorry man, I didn't mean anything by it, heh." Reno adjusted his collar nervously. "Just curious, is all."

Cloud shoved the prawn into his mouth, trying not to betray his surprise. If his younger self had joined Shinra and just disappeared, that would create a lot of loose ends he needed to tie up. "I needed access to Shinra somehow," he explained once he had managed to swallow.

"Ok, no more business talk outta me. I'll show you the bar that's near to HQ, everyone goes there. Then we can call it a night, alright?" Cloud readily agreed to the offer, if only because attached to it was a promise that his time with Reno would come to an end. While he didn't mind the company of the redhead normally, Reno was someone who he could only manage in small doses.

~o~o~o~o~

True to his word, Cloud was whisked away to the Goblin's Bar, a dive in Loveless Avenue that was respectable enough for Shinra employees to openly walk in, but not so respectable that they couldn't afford it on their miserly wages. The place was packed with military figures, SOLDIERs and the trooper hopefuls, celebrating a successful mission or just the end of a hard day.

"I've gotta leave ya here and get back on duty," Reno explained as he ordered only one beer at the bar, leaving Cloud behind with a bottle of alcohol in his hand and an annoyed expression on his face. "Enjoy yourself, you can catch the train back... or you can call me. Whichever!" With a short wave, the redhead turned and disappeared into the crowd. Cloud turned back to the bar, resigned to at least finishing his beer before taking the train back. He wouldn't risk being stuck with Reno again if he accepted the ride home.

"Hey, two beers please, buddy," a voice from the stool next to him called at the bartender. A voice he would recognise anywhere. _Zack_. He knew he should avoid looking, should just keep his cool and leave, but he could not resist. His gaze turned, finding the face of the man who had died for him, looking very much alive and much, much younger than he remembered.

"Hey." Noticing Cloud's attention on him, Zack turned his head to smile at the man. "I'm Zack. SOLDIER, Second Class."

_Second class._Cloud gave back a weak smile of his own. "I'm Cloud."

"Nice to meet you, Cloud." He pushed a few gil notes over the counter to the bartender. "Are you new here?"

Cloud nodded. "My first day."

"Well, me and my buddy are celebrating his promotion." Sliding off the barstool, Zack turned and gave another easy smile. "The party's a bit too small, why don't you join us?"

Cloud just nodded, dropping to his feet and following behind the black haired man. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could deny Zack.

"Picking up strays again?"

"Kunsel, this is Cloud." Cloud took another look at Kunsel, a fair looking man with thick brown hair and sharp blue eyes. He was sure he remembered Kunsel as one of Zack's friends from his previous life, but for some reason he couldn't remember the man without his helmet on. The two of them exchanged greetings and Zack sat down opposite Kunsel in the booth, Cloud sitting down beside Zack.

"Congratulations on your promotion," Cloud offered, holding up his beer bottle for the others to clink against.

Both of the young SOLDIERs beamed. "Yeah, it's great!" Kunsel enthused, taking a large swig of beer. "I'm almost keeping up with Zack."

"We'll both be Firsts in no time, man. You'll see!" Zack grinned, following Kunsel's fine example in downing the alcohol.

Cloud bit his lip for a moment, contemplating the possibilities. If there was anyone he could trust at the moment in this world, it would be these two. "You two are both SOLDIERs. Do you know if there's been a new recruit named Denzel?"

"Oh... yeah! Denzel Strife." _Strife? _Cloud raised an eyebrow at the surname, unnoticed by Zack who continued his story. "Yeah, he's in one of the new groups that came through, I remember his file. Why'd ya wanna know?"

"I'm Cloud Strife," he said by way of explanation.

Zack chuckled. "Keeping an eye on him, yeah? Don't worry, he's in good hands." It was indeed a great relief to know that Denzel had successfully joined the army. He knew where the boy was, for now, and it was unlikely he would see active duty for at least several months.

"So what do you do at Shinra, Cloud?" Kunsel asked.

"Oh, I haven't _done_ anything." _Apart from killing one of the highest ranking members of Shinra_. He gave the SOLDIER what he hoped was a friendly smile. "First day, it's just been ID badges and paperwork."

"Yeah, I get you." Zack grinned playfully. "We get the same. 'Here's your bunk, your locker and pay that wouldn't make a farmhand jealous."

Cloud settled amiably into the conversation, content to just let the two friends banter between each other, only offering his opinion when asked. Of course, since he was with the terminally friendly and inclusive Zack, was more often than normal. Not that he minded, Zack was alive and Denzel was as safe as he could hope, two of his greatest worries falling down by themselves. The future could wait, for once in his life Cloud Strife was able to enjoy the now.

Their drinking and talking carried on into the night, discussions about the trio of elite First Class SOLDIERs and how Zack longed to join their ranks and become a hero. The thought pulled at Cloud's heart as Zack excitedly rambled on, wanting to explain to the teen how he _had_been a hero, how he was so much better already than Genesis, Sephiroth or even Angeal. But he just couldn't. The conversation soon turned to the upcoming invasion of Wutai, how Shinra were finally going to take the fight to the Wutaian capital and defeat it once and for all.

"It's getting late, I should go." Cloud excused himself from the table, unable to continue hearing their Shinra-poisoned imaginings of the glory of subjugating a proud and peaceful people. He exchanged his goodbyes with the pair before heading to the door.

"Did you see his eyes? He's totally a SOLDIER, maybe even First Class!" He could barely pick up Kunsel's whisper with his heightened senses.

"A secret SOLDIER? Wow."

There was no point in trying to go back and cover it up, or deflect their curiosity. Walking out of the bar, Cloud sighed heavily. As much as he didn't want to admit it, that Zack was not _his_Zack. Not the same Zack that saved him from Hojo, not the Zack that dragged him halfway around the world and died stopping an army, just to protect him. This Zack was more innocent, more naive. He had not gone through the trials and trauma that the Zack he remembered had when Cloud first met him, when yet another trauma was added when he was forced to kill his mentor Angeal. He would never be through the same experiences with this Zack, he'd let the world burn before making Zack go through that again. But he'd never form quite the same bond. He could love this Zack and protect him, but he could not replace the Zack of his memories. That would be as much of a betrayal as forgetting him altogether.

It was far past midnight when he finally found his apartment, stumbled through the darkened rooms until he found the bedroom and crawled into bed.


	3. First Day

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 3: First Day  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,187

Cloud woke to the intrusive light of sunrise glaring through the screen windows of his bedroom, bathing it in an eerie red glow. The curtains were on some sort of electronic controls that he couldn't be bothered figuring out when he arrived to his new home last night, a decision he was regretting now as the brilliant light crept under his eyelids. With a groan, he swept the sheets aside and shimmied himself to the edge of the bed, mentally trying to count how many drinks he ended up having last night and coming to the sum total of 'too many'. Groaning, he stood from the bed and stumbled sleepily towards what he hoped was the bathroom.

Five minutes later he was showered and dressed in one of the many identical suits - along with a note from Reno basically asking him not to look too closely at the bill - he had found in the wardrobe. The apartment looked different in the warm light of the morning, still carrying the cold conformity of modern corporate design, but the empty space of the huge rooms did not seem as lonely. It was far from the rebuilt Seventh Heaven he had come to call home, but just as far from the impersonal barracks and shoebox rooms he had known in the infantry.

Wandering to the kitchen for a quick breakfast, he opened the fridge and checked inside. Empty. He frowned, but decided to check the cupboards. Empty. Well, despite being barely furnished and empty of basic supplies, he was at least glad that Shinra hadn't just given him Hojo's old apartment. He'd prefer to sleep in the street.

Making sure his Mystile armband was secure under his shirt and his materia fitted, he twisted into his shirt jacket and left the apartment. Maybe he could get some breakfast from the cafeteria.

"You must be Cloud." Cloud froze, the voice of his nightmares calling him from only a few short steps behind his back.

"Sephiroth," he said in a low breath, turning to face his long time nemesis, standing in the doorway to his own apartment. The man had changed very little from how he remembered him. His expression was more amused and less insane, but he still had the same perfectly aligned silver mane, the same ethereal, otherworldly quality about him. The only difference Cloud could tell was that he had forgone his trademark black leather coat, instead wearing the standard armour of a SOLDIER First with the sole difference of silver pauldrons on each shoulder.

Sephiroth chuckled to himself, amused at the reaction he was provoking in Hojo's replacement. "You do not need to be frightened. I had no love for the late professor... no, I am just curious about you."

"You'll have to join the queue." Cloud brushed past him, giving a quick glance to the open doorway that Sephiroth was standing in as he walked to the elevator. _Great, so my apartment is next to __**his**__._

"I would rather not." Sephiroth turned on his heel as Cloud past and began walking with him, keeping pace as they reached the elevator. "I understand that line is backed up to Junon, and I have been told you will be responsible for enhancing my men. No, I'd rather cut in."

Cloud turned back once he was safely inside the elevator. "Well, you can visit-"

Sephiroth cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Have you eaten yet?" Cloud briefly shook his head. "Good, you can join me." Sephiroth jabbed the button for the SOLDIER floor. "We can discuss matters over breakfast."

_You really need to be more assertive,_Cloud chided himself as for the second time in two days he was dragged off to a conversation he didn't want to have. The elevator dinged at them cheerfully to announce their floor, Sephiroth stepping out and Cloud keeping in stride. Petty as it seemed, he didn't want to be the underling chasing after Sephiroth's shadow like he once was. He was at least the man's equal now, and with a three-nil record in killing him.

The cafeteria was smaller than the one he remembered from the one in the general army, and much nicer too. Polished wooden table-and-seat combinations covered the room, intermittently populated with soldiers in the purple and blue uniforms of second and third class SOLDIERs. Several of the seated soldiers stopped what they were doing and turned to stare, not just at the rare sight of the general eating in the cafeteria, but the man who he had taken with him.

"It's safe to say you didn't have a high opinion of Hojo," Sephiroth commented once they had gathered their food and found a table.

Cloud stared down at the tray he had picked up, avoiding eye contact with the general and puzzling at his food at the same time. Pancakes, apparently fuel for budding super-soldiers. "He was a walking mess of complexes, really."

Sephiroth chuckled. "That is a very... apt description of him."

"That's what my... commander..." he would not say _superior,_"called him. Heh, even if it described himself better than Hojo."

"Was he working with Hojo?"

_You could say that._Cloud sighed. Small talk didn't suit either of them and trying to exchange pleasantries was becoming painful. "You're not curious about me," he said plainly. "You just want to know if I'll be a threat."

"That is... mostly correct. I don't buy Shinra's story. Did you kill Hojo yourself, or did you have him killed?"

Cloud looked up from his breakfast, giving a half-hearted glare to the unintentional insult that was thrown at him. "I don't use people. He had to die, so I killed him myself."

Sephiroth just nodded. "I can respect that. Why did he have to die?"

_You of all people should know __**why**__._ Although, perhaps at this point, he didn't... Cloud pondered the possibilities over in his head. It was too hard to work out what facts Sephiroth did and did not know at this point in time. "He was dangerous. He was insane. He would let the world burn just because he had something to prove."

"Surely it is more than that. There are many dangerous and insane people, but you went after Hojo… personally."

"I wanted to kill him for what he did to me. Just… don't ask what that was."

The general raised a thin eyebrow. "Your eyes?"

"I told you not to ask." Cloud glared back, trying out his coldest voice. It was not hard, anyone would get the same glare if they tried to pry into what happened at the hands of Hojo... let alone the man indirectly responsible.

Sephiroth at least had the decency to look contrite. "My apologies. What do you intend to do with your control of the science department?" Though contrition did not stop his relentless prying.

It was a good question, one he needed to ask himself. He had no doubt his decisions could be easily overruled if it appeared he wasn't in line with the president's wishes. His long term goals were obvious, but short term? That needed work. "With the little control I will actually have? I intend to bring Hojo's deeds into the light of day."

"Revenge is your only motivation?"

_It was always yours,_Cloud thought darkly. Maybe it would be the motivation Sephiroth was best able to understand. "No, but it's the only one you need to know. I could tell you about my childhood, my friends, my deepest feelings... would it matter?"

"It would make no practical difference, you are correct in that. But you are an intriguing person, Cloud Strife."

_Great, just what I need. _Cloud sighed, running a hand through his unruly bangs. "I hear that a lot lately."

"Then it must be true."

"Look, you can rest assured that I won't be insane and I'll play by the rules. That's pretty much all you can get." Sticking a fork in the rest of his food, Cloud leaned back and folded his arms. If every conversation was going to be like this he would be setting people on fire within a week.

"It is more than I was expecting." Sephiroth stopped his random fork-stabbing of food and looked up at Cloud. "You have been... refreshingly honest. I expect that trait will not get you into the good graces of the executives."

Cloud snorted. "Good. If they hate me, I'm doing something right."

"I wonder how long your attitude will last." Sliding his tray to the side, Sephiroth leaned in closer. "It's more suited to a warrior than a scientist, I doubt it will help you in your new job."

"Something tells me this job will require more fighting than science. In any case," Cloud stood from the table, pulling his tray with him. "I need to get to work."

"Very well. Thank you for talking to me."

He nodded in response, making a brief detour to dump the remainder of his uneaten food and return the tray before leaving the cafeteria. Just outside the door, he looked back to see Sephiroth staring down at his food, brows furrowed.

~o~o~o~o~

Finally, lunch time. Cloud slumped back against the far wall of the elevator as it took him up to the employee break room. His brief period of information gathering hadn't proved to be particularly fruitful, although he had learned that Hollander, whose office he was taking over, had disappeared from the company only a few days previously, coincidentally at the same time that SOLDIER First Class Genesis Rhapsodos had defected, taking with him an entire company of Second and Third class SOLDIERs. The Crisis was already starting.

"Hey, there you are!"

Cloud made no attempt to hide his annoyance when he stepped out of the elevator to find Reno rushing at him from across the room. Cloud gave out a loud sigh, turning to the wall and theatrically bumping his forehead against it.

"I'm not that bad, am I?" The redhead grinned at him when he turned back around. "How's your first day?"

"I feel like a secretary," Cloud complained, flopping into one of the comfortably plush armchairs. "Budgets, requests for stationary. I think they're just loading me up with this crap because I'm new."

"Trying to see how far they can push you?" Reno asked, settling into the couch opposite. "What did you do?"

"Made a big pile and set it on fire." Cloud shrugged, peeling the wrapper of a chocolate bar he had grabbed from the vending machine. "Not my problem if they don't get their equipment."

"I like your style. You're still gonna have to deal with a lot of paperwork, though."

"Enough without having to add pointless crap to it." Cloud bit down into the chocolate. Mmm, generic off-brand. Shinra sure had made an art out of being tight fisted while spending huge amounts of money on worthless projects. "I need an assistant."

"Hey, don't look at me, man." After having eyed Cloud's chocolate bar for long enough, Reno jumped from the couch and headed to the vending machine. "I'm just your temporary bodyguard assistant thing. Not supposed to be doing shit like paperwork. Hey... you got any change?"

"Yeah, hold on." Cloud lazily rummaged into his jacket pocket and pulled out a gil coin, flicking it with perfect accuracy at Reno.

"Thanks." Reno snatched the coin out of midair with his usual excellent reflexes, staring back at Cloud for a moment before putting it into the machine. "Nice throw..."

"Maybe not paperwork, but I need some food for my place."

"Just order it online, man." Reno punched the button on the machine and waited for his candy. "You can get anything delivered if you live in Shinra tower."

"Right, thanks." Cloud nodded, he had entirely forgotten about that. Grocery delivery was a thing of the past in the future. He frowned, shaking his head slightly. Time travel just made things confusing. "Right, break's over. I've got an appointment with some SOLDIERs."

"Injection time?" Reno asked. "I thought only Hojo knew how to do that." _Or he wanted everyone to think he was._

"Why do you think they gave me the job?"

The only reason the president would have considered Hojo expendable would be if someone else claimed to know the secret to SOLDIER enhancement. In truth, the reason that Hojo never told anyone was because the secret was not Hojo, but Jenova. It was no exaggeration that Hojo only played a genetic game of pin the tail on the donkey, or inject the Jenova into the victim.

Hojo had stumbled upon the most stable combination by blind luck, injecting small amounts of Jenova cells directly into the subject then using mako to control the dose. The exact methods were not something he could ever forget, having been tortured with them again and again over a period of five years. Floating in a tank of mako, watching the professor prepare his next sadistic experiment as his mind slowly broke.

The idea of routine enhancements was another lie that Hojo desperately did not want known. From the time he and Zack had escaped Hojo's care, he had grown in power through experience and adversity, with no 'boosters' or enhancements. The regular injections were just another method of control - if SOLDIERs needed Shinra to stay strong, they would stay with Shinra, and if Shinra needed Hojo to keep their SOLDIERs strong, Shinra would stay with Hojo.

But the lie would suit him as well as it suited Hojo. He had prepared his own injection earlier, a dose of mako from a spring, not a reactor, diluted until it was no longer corrosive. Free from Jenova cells, the mako would slowly purify them... if his own purification from Aerith's rain was any indication, they would not lose any of their abilities - even if they did, the world would not miss the absence of a super soldier army.

"So yeah, I guess that makes sense." Reno said, the voice breaking him out of his contemplations. "You want me to come with?"

Cloud shook his head. That was the last thing he wanted. He liked the man, not the Turk. "I think I'll be pretty safe in Shinra tower."

Reno snorted. "Hojo probably thought that too."

"I'll risk it." Cloud turned and left for the elevator, swiping his keycard for access to the science department floors.

With a cheerful ding the elevator doors slid open, leading him straight into the lobby where the five eager young troops were seated and excitedly talking among themselves. Giving a nod to the receptionist, he walked up to her desk and fetched the clipboard containing their names.

"Alright, listen up." He cleared his throat, trying to adopt the tone of his first drill sergeant. Even with his quiet voice, the soldiers all immediately hushed, turning to face him and pay attention. "The injection process is going to be different this time around. It will be slower-" There were several groans from soldiers that had previously had the injections. "-but that's because it won't hurt this time." Several sighs of relief. "I'll give everyone an examination in turn, then hook you up to an IV. You can leave when it's drained, but make sure you stay with someone for the next day and report back if you feel too unwell. Alright, we'll start with... SOLDIER Second Class Kunsel."

Cloud walked into the examination room, the purple clad man following close behind him. It was hard to miss the expression of surprise on his face at seeing Cloud, but it was not exactly like he would be keeping his occupation a secret for long.

"Take a seat." Cloud instructed as he closed the door.

"Cloud? _You're_the one replacing Hojo?" Kunsel exclaimed, like he had the sentence wound up tight and could only fire it now.

"Yes." Cloud went to the bench at the back of the room, wrapping a stethoscope around his neck and gathering the necessary tools.

"But... you don't look like..." Kunsel muttered in protest, taking a seat once Cloud turned a cold glare onto him.

"I've been playing twenty questions with everyone that's bumped into me. It's getting old." Cloud sighed, dragging the tray of instruments over to the nervous soldier. Wrapping the cuff of the blood pressure monitor around Kunsel's bicep, he gave the bulb a few inflationary squeezes. "I'm just going to take your blood pressure and check your heart rate."

Pulling the soldier's shirt up, Cloud placed the stethoscope against his chest. "Have you been having any shortness of breath, a heavy feeling on your chest or light-headedness?"

Kunsel shook his head. "No."

Cloud nodded, counting out the beats against his fingers before shifting the stethoscope to his elbow and releasing the pressure on the cuff, listening to the blood flow as he did so. "Well, you sound fine. I'm just going to hook you up to the mako. If you get any of those symptoms, make sure to call me."

"That's it?" Kunsel had a puzzled look on his face.

"I don't perform tests that patients don't need." His opinion of doctors who did being unspoken, but understood. Wheeling over one of the IV stands, Cloud unwrapped a fresh needle and carefully attached it to the tube. "Your regular physical came back fine."

Swabbing the crook of Kunsel's elbow with a disinfectant wipe, Cloud pumped up the cuff again to help him find the vein. Not every problem could be cured with materia, so he had plenty of practice with needles, driving from town to town to make sure children had their life saving vaccines.

"Clench your fist." Cloud instructed, sliding the needle into the exposed vein once Kunsel had done so. "And relax." He patched a bit of tape over the needle to keep it in place. Injecting young men with a poison that would make them stronger... if you didn't look at it too closely, it was just like what he was doing with the vaccines.

"How long should I stay here?"

"Take the drip with you." Cloud said, dragging the stand closer to the teenager. "Just make sure not to pull it." Kunsel nodded, standing from the chair and taking hold of the IV. "Before you go... I haven't been able to find Denzel, do you know where he is?"

Kunsel nodded. "His company was shipped out this morning to Junon."

"Junon?" Cloud queried.

"Water training. It's for Wutai, lots of rivers and beach landings for infantry."

Cloud cursed. Of course they'd be speeding up training, the infantry were only considered cannon fodder by Shinra, throw enough of them at the Wutai ranks as cover for SOLDIER operatives. Their age or skill didn't matter, as long as they were there to take the bullets for more important forces. He was going to have to get Denzel out of the army, to somehow make sure Shinra was not able to use him as leverage over Cloud.

Perhaps he needed to pay a visit to Lazard, the director of SOLDIER.


	4. Old Friend, New Ally

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 4: Old Friend, New Ally  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,210

"Director Lazard," Cloud greeted as he walked into the man's office. What little Cloud knew of Lazard Deusericus was gained from the fragments of Zack's memories he had absorbed when his friend died. Some of it was basic knowledge: the secret that Lazard was the illegitimate son of President Shinra was not hard to guess, given the striking features he shared with his half-brother Rufus. But of course, there were things he knew about the man that even Lazard himself did not yet know.

"Professor Strife, what can I do for you?" The impeccably dressed blond executive stood from his desk, smoothing down his suit jacket as he addressed Cloud.

Cloud raised an eyebrow at 'Professor', but did not mention the strange use of Hojo's old title. "I have a favour to ask you."

"A favour?"

Cloud took a seat at the large table, pulling a plain manila folder from his coat and sliding it over to Lazard. "There is a recruit… I'd like him transferred to the SOLDIER program."

"Hm..." Lazard scratched his bare chin, leaving the folder untouched. "I was under the impression that anyone the science department wanted, they could get."

He didn't say anything, Cloud noted, along with the touch of bitterness in Lazard's voice. He said _anyone_. Cloud took the folder and nudged it towards Lazard. "But with this recruit, I want you to keep it a secret."

Taking the folder, Lazard opened it and scanned the single page that was inside, Denzel's military profile. "Ah... I see. You want to keep him from the war, then?"

"Yes, I… I want him in SOLDIER," Cloud said. "At any cost."

Lazard leaned forward, looking at Cloud over his tented fingers. "That is a lot of leverage someone could use over you."

"What are you saying?"

"I would never blackmail you with your son, Professor. But there are those in Shinra that would."

Cloud glared daggers at Lazard, the arm rests on his chair creaking under his grip. He wasn't sure if the director was threatening him or not, his intentions hidden behind executive double speak bullshit. "I can deal with anyone who tries."

"That is good to hear," Lazard said. "Although I do not share your confidence."

"I know secrets," Cloud said with what he hoped was control, although to his ears the words came out rushed and desperate. "The SOLDIERs, the reactors, Shinra's nasty little secrets."

The corners of Lazard's mouth pinched in a barely visible smile. "I hardly think those would… dissuade anyone."

"The president's illegitimate son."

Lazard's smile froze. "As I said, I would not use your family against you," he said, clearing his throat. "My offer is to help you, if you agree to one condition."

"What's that?"

"The science department has a habit of taking members of my department for 'tests' whenever they please. I would like this to stop."

Cloud shrugged. "It already has," he said. Human experiments weren't exactly on his priority list to keep around after Hojo's death and he'd already decided that many of the other scientists involved were going to be suffering unfortunate 'accidents' over the next few weeks.

"Very well," Lazard said, the small curve of a smile returning to his face. "Then I will keep this… recruit safe for you. At any cost."

"Thanks," Cloud said, standing from the desk. "Lazard," he said, pausing once he had turned his back. "Your deal with Hollander… it will end badly."

Lazard had been the one to finance Dr. Hollander and creating the army of Genesis clones. The three of them had worked together to betray Shinra, an admirable goal, but for all the wrong reasons. Hollander had recently left Shinra after losing a power struggle with Hojo - both men were just as ruthless and ambitious as each other.

"Professor?"

"I guess I can't convince you, it's just… all those SOLDIERs, they trusted Genesis. What Hollander plans to do to them… it's just as bad as Hojo."

He gave a short nod to the stunned Lazard in farewell and left for the door. Perhaps he could have been more diplomatic, but time was running out. Zack would be shipped to Wutai in the next few weeks, for the final assault on Fort Tamblin. That meant Genesis had already left SOLDIER, which would soon be followed by the mass desertion of the ranks and their use for creating his army of clones.

"Oh, one more thing." Cloud stopped, turning around just as he reached the door.

"Yes?"

"Shinra has me on a short leash," Cloud said with a short but disgusted grimace. "I'm leaving Midgar tonight and I need an escort."

"Let me check. Our soldiers are running in short supply thanks to the war." Turning back to his desk and flipped open the built-in computer, browsing his files for a few moments. "Ah yes, Lieutenant Fair. He's a SOLDIER Second Class, but he's been doing nothing but training recently. Take him with you, I will inform Commander Angeal."

Cloud tried but failed to hide the grin as soon as he heard Zack would be escorting him. "That will be…" he wanted to say _perfect_, but settled for, "adequate, thank you." Still trying to hide how pleased he was, Cloud pushed the door open and left the office.

~o~o~o~o~

Cloud marched down the halls of the military training wing, expensive shoes clink clinking against the floor in a way that made him miss the heavy thunk of his combat boots. Or just having a simple combat uniform, the SOLDIER ones were so much more comfortable than the stupid monkey suit he had to wear now. Recruits were running laps past him in the corridors, drill instructors yelling insults and obscenities with each heavy step. Rooms were filled with the sound of muffled gunfire or clashing swords. Shinra was readying for war, for the final push against Wutai.

Cloud numbered off the doors as he moved past. 8D, 8E, 8F. The receptionist had informed him that Zack was scheduled to be in training room 8K, but in his experience the SOLDIERs would only obey the room assignments when it suited them and would pick whichever group they had the most friends with. The reason he had been able to see Zack so often during infantry exercises was that the older man would swap with whoever was assigned to lead them.

The training room was filled with recruits, some active duty infantry - like he used to be - dotted around the place, but mostly just lines of freshly signed up rookies like Denzel. Several SOLDIERs, mostly third class but with a few seconds like Zack, were instructing the sweating lines of overworked teenagers through basic unarmed combat techniques. Spotting that Zack was indeed in this room, enthusiastically leading a group of soldiers through a grapple and its counter, Cloud took a seat in the far corner and decided to wait for them to finish.

"Cloud?" One of the infantrymen blurted out incredulously when the room stopped for a break. "We thought you'd deserted! Where have you been? The sergeant is so pissed at you!"

Cloud looked up at the soldier who had spoken, trying to remember the name of the man coming into view from the throng of cadets. "Sebastian?" he queried, just remembering the name of the dark haired man that had been in his unit so many years ago.

"Huh. You look different," Sebastian said as he approached, slowing down with a puzzled look on his face now he could see more than just the spiky blond hair. "What happened to you?"

_You look less dead,_Cloud replied in his head. "I got a job offer."

"You did? Man, but you wanted to get into SOLDIER more than anyone." His comment was cut off from a gruff voice calling across the hall.

"Strife! You're showing your face back here?" Striding purposefully towards the group was his unit's commanding officer, Sergeant Baigan. Cloud's eyes widened slightly, his lips turning up in the hint of a twisted grin. Out of all the drill sergeants, asshole instructors and bullies he had to deal with during his brief hint in the infantry Baigan was the worst.

He just had to mess with him.

Cloud stood, gently nudging Sebastian to the side so he could face the man. The sergeant was significantly older than the rest of the group, in his early twenties at least, and resented having to command and train teenagers. But what could he expect? Fourteen was an adult in Shinra terms, old enough to drink, to drive, to have sex and to be sent off to die just so the company could sink their claws into a foreign land.

"I'm here to see Lieutenant Fair," he said, waving his hand in the direction of the SOLDIER.

"You deserted on patrol, Strife. I could have you shot for that."

On patrol… that thought set Cloud on edge. He hadn't seen any sign of his… previous self since arriving in the past four days ago. He was working on the assumption that his younger form had disappeared or somehow been melded into him, but it would certainly raise a few awkward questions if a fourteen year old doppelganger suddenly turned back up.

"Well?" Baigan said, becoming more incensed by the second. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Cloud pulled his ID badge out his pocket, flipping it over in his fingers as he glared at the sergeant. Would a bit of petty revenge change anything? "There was a bit of a mess," he said instead, slipping the badge back into his jacket. "I'm working for another department now. I'm just here to see Zack."

"Hi, Cloud!" Zack had wandered over while they talked, eyeing the small group that was now surrounding Cloud. The sergeant remained quiet, being forced by rank to defer to the SOLDIER. "What brings you here?"

Cloud gave him a small smile. It seemed to be Zack's way, he had only known him for a day and yet he was already treating Cloud like an old friend. "I've got a mission for you."

"A mission? Awesome!" Zack said with a grin, pumping his fist enthusiastically. "Angeal hasn't let me go anywhere! What are we doing?"

Cloud smiled faintly, his friend's exuberance reminding him of all those times Zack's good nature had carried him through his trials. "Shinra won't let me leave without an escort, so you get to babysit me."

"Aw, man! I was hoping for some action!" Zack looked crestfallen at the news, but he tried to put on a smile when he saw Cloud's barely hidden pout. "But at least we can hang out! Why are they making you have an escort?"

"New rule, apparently." Cloud waved his hand towards the door, and the pair walked out of the room as they talked. "I've got to have an escort because of my new position."

"That's right! Kunsel told me you were the new head of the science department. Oh..." Zack paused mid-sentence, his expression changing from excited to miserable in the space of a second.

Cloud stopped too, turning to look at Zack with some amusement. His friend had a way of using his whole body to display his emotions that was comical to look at. Some people may have worn their heart on their sleeve, but Zack wore it on every part of his body.

"I should ask Angeal, he said..." Zack trailed off again, running his hand through his hair.

"Because of the science department, right?" Cloud finished for him. "It'll be fine, right? Lazard said he was talking to Angeal about it."

"Yeah, but I really should talk to Angeal."

"Lazard will just tell you to go, right? It's just for a day or so."

"Alright," Zack said with a resigned sigh. "I'll need to get equipped, where should I meet you?"

"Meet me at the helicopters, I'll go arrange one now." Pulling his phone from his jacket, he browsed through his contacts. Reno, SOLDIER Admin, Tseng... flicking the keys down as he walked, he brought up Reno's number and dialled.

_Yo._

"Reno, it's Cloud. I need a pilot to the western continent."

_Western continent? Man, I'd love to help ya but that's a couple of days round trip. I'll ask Tseng, but he's got me on a short leash._

Damn. Apart from Cid, Reno was the best pilot he knew, but that could also be because he knew very few pilots. "Could you get another pilot?"

_Yeah, no problems with that. When do you need to leave?_

"I'm heading to the helicopters now."

Reno laughed over the phone. _Hey, I'm supposed to be the unpredictable one, got it? I'll see if I can get you sorted._

"Thanks." Cloud closed the phone and shoved it back to into his jacket pocket. He was reluctant to get anyone he didn't know involved in this mission, but maybe he could just tell the pilot to just leave and pick them back up.

He hit the button for the elevator and waited for it to take him back up.

The sun was setting over the concrete plains of Shinra tower's mini-airport. Midgar could be beautiful at sunrise and sunset, when the sun finally managed to pierce the oppressive black clouds that hovered around the city and cast the city in a gentle orange glow. From above the plate it looked like a sprawling replica of Cosmo Canyon, a great mesa carved from steel and concrete.

"Cloud!" Zack yelled from across the launch pad, jogging quickly over to catch up with him. "I got something for you," he said with a grin, handing over his cell phone.

Puzzled, Cloud picked up the mobile phone, giving Zack a curious look and getting only a wide grin in return. "Hello?" he asked as he put the phone to his ear.

_Cloud?_the young voice from the other end exclaimed.

"Denzel! What were you thinking? Do you know how worried I've been?" Cloud was vaguely aware that he was sounding like every parent that had ever existed, but at the moment he just couldn't care.

_You came back for me?_

"Of course I did. I promised to keep you safe." Zack's face had just melted into an expression of _awwwwww_. Cloud sighed once more and rolled his eyes. "Where are you?"

_I don't need help, I'm going to be a SOLDIER like you._

"Just be careful and stay out of trouble. I'm going to bring you back here as soon as I can." Cloud closed the phone and handed it back to Zack.

"I pulled rank and got them to bring him to a phone line." Zack explained as he took the phone back and clipped it to his belt.

"Thanks, Zack. I'm sorry about earlier."

"No problem. I'm kinda glad Angeal can't keep me locked up in the training room." Zack grinned, patting him on the shoulder. Cloud offered a smile in return. The teenager was more mature and perceptive than his childlike demeanour would indicate. Even if it wasn't the same Zack, Cloud would be grateful to call him a friend.

"So where are we going?" Zack asked, once the silence had stretched out beyond comfortable levels.

"My hometown, Nibelheim."

"Nibelheim?" Zack laughed.

"You know Nibelheim?" Cloud asked, tilting his head to the side. He was sure that Zack had never heard of it before he met Cloud.

"No," said Zack, chuckling slightly. "But it's such a backwater name."

"Like you've been there." Cloud pouted. "Where are you from?"

Puffing his chest up and straightening his back, Zack smiled proudly. "Gongaga!"

Cloud just laughed.

"What?" Asked Zack defensively, his face falling.

"Country boy." Cloud grinned. Even if it wasn't verbatim, he knew he'd had this conversation before: the first time he met Zack in Modeoheim. "A reactor outside Midgar?"

"Yeah, yeah. Nothing else out there." Zack laughed, playfully punching Cloud in the shoulder. "You're just as much of a country boy as I am!"

"I never denied it." Cloud smiled back.

"So why are we going there?" Zack asked once he had stopped his manic grinning, returning to his business persona immediately - which really wasn't too different from his regular, friendly persona.

"Hojo spent a lot of time there. Remote and with access to a reactor." Cloud grimaced at the thought. He knew what was waiting there for him, he just hoped he could keep his eyes looking forward and moving ahead before his fear caught up to him. "Hojo was up to no good there and I want to make sure it harms no one."

Zack smiled. "Sounds like you want to be a hero."

"A hero isn't something you can want to be, Zack. It's something that's forced on you... and in the end takes everything away."

"Yeah, what about Sephiroth?" Zack countered, restlessly swinging his arms as he began doing squats on the tarmac. "Or Angeal and Genesis?"

Cloud shrugged. It was ironic somehow that he was telling Zack of all people what it meant to be a hero. He wasn't sure himself what it meant, the minute he tried to define _hero_he thought of Zack. "There's more to being a hero than just power and fame. What matters is how much you are willing to give up."

"Hm. Well, I don't know what I'm willing to give up yet!" Zack pondered in between breaths as he continued his exercise routine. "Maybe I'll found out."

_Everything, Zack._Cloud frowned, "It's not a title you can give yourself either."

"Excuse me, are you Director Strife?" A short man with messy brown hair, dressed in a drab gray suit appeared from behind one of the helicopters and began walking towards the pair.

"Yes," Cloud said. _How many titles do I have now?_he wondered silently. That was at least the third different one since getting the job.

"I'm your pilot. Where are we going?"

"Western continent, to Mt. Nibel," Cloud replied. "I want you to avoid the town and drop at the reactor."

"Yes, sir. Strap in, we'll get going immediately."

They followed him over to his aircraft, a cross between a helicopter and plane, with a thick helicopter body capable of transporting troops and twin rotors on the large wings, reminding Cloud quite distinctly of the Tiny Bronco, for the brief time that plane was airworthy rather than just being an odd boat.

"We can't take a helicopter all the way to Mt. Nibel without stopping to refuel." The pilot explained as they boarded the plane. "The vertiplane will get us there faster."

Cloud nodded, strapping himself into the complicated safety harness as Zack was doing beside him. "I love flying," Zack said with a grin, clicking the last of the buckles into place. "You?"

"I get motion sickness," Cloud grumbled as he adjusted the straps. Apparently the last person who sat in his seat was related to a behemoth. "Not as bad as I used to get, but I still don't like flying."

_At least Yuffie isn't coming on this trip,_ he thought as the engines slowly wound up to a sharp whine. _I'd rather not get vomit in my hair again._


	5. Nibelheim

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 5: Nibelheim  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,320

"We're coming up to the Nibel mountain range!"

They had been travelling for the entire night and the sun was finally rising over the Nibel mountains, a glorious sight after the long journey. Zack was snoring peacefully the entire way, unperturbed by the loud whine of the engines and regular bumps. Even Cloud, despite his motion sickness, managed to sleep through much of the night - the Highwind serving as their base for much of the time they were chasing Sephiroth, there was little choice: it was either sleep despite it, or develop insomnia.

"Once you drop us off at the reactor, head to Rocket Town to refuel!" Cloud yelled back, his voice nearly drowned out by the roaring of the engines. "Then pick us up tomorrow at midday!"

"You got it!"

The plane lurched suddenly, jolting the passengers inside, the safety harnesses strapped to their chest the only thing stopping them from falling out of the plane.

Zack snapped awake from his sleep, looking around wildly as the plane started shaking around them. "Whoa! What was that?" he yelled.

"Something hit us, I guess." Cloud stretched forward in his seat, trying to peer out the door but restricted by his harness.

"There's something on our tail!" the pilot yelled as he jammed the plane into evasive manoeuvres, banking severely sideways and throwing his passengers around in their seats. "It looks like a dragon!"

Zack grappled with his harness, pulling the buckles out and snapping several more under his enhanced strength. "I'll take care of it. Stay here, Cloud!" He jumped from his seat, grabbing the safety handle near the door and peering out of the plane. Before Cloud could react, he had leapt from the plane and out of sight.

"Zack!" Cloud yelled, struggling with his own harness. In his frustration he lurched forward, his seat buckling around him and harness snapping off, falling in tatters to the floor before being sucked out of the open door.

Following Zack's lead, he grabbed the safety handle and peered out, eyes snapping open when he saw the scene. It was no dragon, native to the Nibel mountains and protecting its territory, but the summon Bahamut, the dragon king shining golden in the morning light as it twisted through the air with a broadsword stuck in its side, Zack holding on to the hilt for dear life as they spun over the jagged mountains.

Drawing on the power of his materia, Cloud jumped from the plane towards the dragon, blue fire engulfing his fist as he channeled energy into the spell. The energy trailed behind him even as it built up, wisps of cloud zipping past him as his jump turned into a free fall. Seconds later and he reached Bahamut, smashing his fist into the dragon king's massive jaw. The explosion was drowned out by Bahamut's roar, the shockwave throwing him back into the large spines running down the dragon's back.

"Zack!" he yelled as he caught hold of the spines, planting his feet into the thick scales for balance. He could see Zack's hold slipping as Bahamut wheeled around in pain, arching its back to try and throw the two humans off.

Grasping the thick spines as support, Cloud half-walked, half-slid down the dragon's back to its flank, reaching the sword just as Zack's hold finally gave out.

"Cloud!" The SOLDIER yelled as he flew through the air, barely managing to grab on to one of their enemy's solid wings to stop him from creating a Zack-sized splat in the scenery below.

"Hang on!" Cloud yelled back as he pulled the sword from the beast's skin, causing another desperate pinwheel. Sliding down the dragon's side, he hopped on to the wing, slicing the sword through a hard piece of bone to keep balance. Leaning down to grab Zack's hand, he hauled his friend up and with a single heave threw him towards the spines on the back. Spinning freely though the air from the throw, Zack grabbed hold of the largest spine he could, his grip pivoting his back into the dragon's side with an unhealthy crunch. He recovered neatly against the pain, holding on for dear life and nestling his boots where two other spines joined the dragon's body.

Using Zack's sword, Cloud was slicing through the thick muscles that ran through the wing he was standing on, Bahamut veering to the side as its wing suddenly started flapping uselessly in the wind. Pulling the sword from the bleeding appendage, he ran up the remains of the wing, leaping over the spikes to land on the wing opposite, only to shove the sword down as he landed, his momentum slicing through the leathery flesh until he finally came to a stop at the tip.

"Get ready to jump!" Cloud yelled over the roar of the rushing wind. Swinging himself up to the thick bone along the base of the wing, he ran in a straight line up the mutilated wing until he reached Zack. "He's gonna go down, and fast."

Taking the broadsword in two hands, Cloud summoned up the energy for his Braver technique, flickers of blue and green flames lighting up around his shoulders, growing until the fiery light covered his entire body. Lifting the glowing sword above his head, he brought it down in a powerful blow, three equal lines of force bursting forward from the impact and shattering magnificent scales, each line digging deep into the summon's back, the cuts spewing blood and ruptured flesh into the air.

"Get ready to jump!" Cloud yelled, holding on to a ragged spine as they spiralled towards the mountain. "On three! One!"

"Two!" They narrowly missed a cliff edge as the dragon king squirmed its way around the mountain, diving lower in a desperate attempt to save itself.

"Three!" Leaping into the air at the same time, they launched themselves clear just as Bahamut smashed through a copse of trees, wood splintering around its powerful muscles as it burrowed into the snow. Pushing himself higher, Cloud ran energy along the sword blade, the metal glowing a bright blue before he slashed it down in the direction of the dragon king, the Blade Beam launching from the sword and smashing into the downed summon, which was already consuming itself in magical flames, returning back to wherever summons resided before being called by mere humans.

Zack landed in the snow with a grunt, rolling as he hit the soft surface until his momentum gave out. He leapt to his feet when he finally stopped moving, trying to get a bearing for where he landed. He looked up, stunned as he saw Cloud launching powerful energy blasts at their foe before dropping into a ball, sword to the side as he fell, flipping around until he landed in a graceful crouch before the dumbstruck Zack.

"Here's your sword." Cloud turned the sword backwards, hilt facing the SOLDIER as he offered the blade.

"Dude! I _knew_ you were some sort of secret super SOLDIER!" Zack exclaimed loudly, wrapping Cloud in a surprise hug as he continued rambling. "Well, Kunsel knew anyway... man, I haven't seen _anyone_fight like that!"

"Sorry," Cloud said with a sheepish grin, hints of red colouring his cheeks as Zack briefly let go, hands still holding Cloud's shoulders. "You could have handled it, but I couldn't let you get hurt."

"I knew it!" Zack said excitedly, wrapping his arms around the smaller man in another tight bear hug. "You're totally a hero!"

"I'm not a hero, Zack."

"Come on, you saved my life!" Drawing away from Cloud again, he patted him on the shoulder. "Whoa, I want to see you fight Angeal... or even Sephiroth! Do you think you'd win?"

"We need to get out of here, Zack," Cloud said, abruptly changing the subject to avoid even the thought that the other SOLDIERs would find out about his abilities. He pointed to their destination in the distance, the foreboding Mt. Nibel, towering above the other mountains in the range. "I can't see the plane and we can't use our phones here."

Cloud trudged forward into the snow, cursing once again that he was wearing a stupid executive suit with ridiculous shoes. He could have danced to Nibelheim and back in his usual outfit, but the weak clothing was letting the snow and sludge seep through to his skin. Zack happily trotted ahead of him, warm in his reasonable combat boots and thick SOLDIER pants.

_It was a summon_, Cloud thought as he walked unhappily through the snow. _So there must have been a summoner_. He had thoroughly checked the horizon, but there had been no sign of any other life in the frozen peaks. Without the ability to search further, he would be stuck with guessing.

"So how did you get so powerful, Cloud?" Zack asked, turning to walk backwards and face Cloud as he did so. "How come I've never heard of you?"

"Because Hojo experimented on me for five years, trying to find someone who could replace Sephiroth," Cloud said in a low grumble, eyes downcast as he kicked through the snow. "I only was able to escape because my closest friend died breaking me out of there. That's why I'm doing everything I can to make sure no one else has to go through that." He raised his head, facing the teenager and looking him in the eye. "Can you understand why I don't like talking about it?"

Zack stopped his backwards walk to avoid tripping over himself, eyes widening and face drooping at each word Cloud spoke. "I'm... sorry, Cloud," he said sincerely, eyes welling up.

"No, I'm sorry." Cloud sighed, kicking the snow some more. "I shouldn't be dragging you into this."

"We're buddies, right?" Zack grinned, spreading his arms in an open gesture. "You gotta let me help you."

Cloud smiled as they marched through the thick snow together. He may not have been able to tell Zack everything, but this was a huge change, being able to be open with his friend, able to be _himself_instead of the faulty scientist persona he was barely managing to keep up. "Ok, but there are some things I can't tell you."

"Hey, I'm military, right? Classified stuff and all that!" Despite the beaming smile, Cloud got the distinct impression that Zack had not done well on any Sensitive Information Handling courses.

"Don't tell anyone about me either, I get enough questions as it is!"

Zack laughed, draping an arm over the smaller man's shoulder as they began to approach the mountain pass. "Yeah, I heard Sephiroth talking to Angeal about you today. I don't think anyone's got _him_interested before!"

"Yeah, great," Cloud muttered dryly. "I'm thrilled."

"Hey, maybe he'll ask you on a date." Zack grinned, only barely managing to hold back a laugh.

"Wh- what?" Cloud spluttered, nearly tripping over his own feet.

"_Relax,_" Zack drawled, his arm not budging from Cloud's shoulder. "I'm kidding... although that blush tells me you like the idea."

"It's the freezing wind!" Cloud yelled, shoving the SOLDIER to the side.

"Ack!" Zack blurted as he found himself flying several feet into a nearby snow drift. "Ouch, I've gotta remember how strong you are." He grinned, brushing off the snow as he stood up. He rejoined Cloud, flicking some of the snow that had stuck to his uniform at the blond. "It's that suit, you need something badass like Sephiroth's coat."

"You think a giant sword and leather coat would go down well in the science department?" Cloud asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ok, maybe not that." A gloved hand reached up to his chin, stroking it contemplatively. "Why did you join them, anyway?"

"Access to the experiments, mostly," Cloud said. "Hopefully I can shut them down before they realise I'm not a scientist."

"You're not?" Zack looked at Cloud as if he'd grown two heads.

Cloud shrugged. "I was a soldier, then an experiment, then a mercenary. Then, all of a sudden I had a family. I tried being a delivery boy for a while, but then I became a... well, not really a doctor, more a medic."

"Family... Denzel, right?" Zack queried. "What about your wife?"

"I'm not normal enough to have a wife," Cloud said with a sardonic laugh. Things with Tifa had never worked out. She was willing, he was unable. "I found Denzel in the ruins... slums. He was sick, so I took him in."

"I thought you looked too young to be a dad, especially to a teenager."

"Well, I'm older than I look. I can thank the experiments for that, too."

"Hey, I like you the way you are, Cloud." Zack smiled, clasping a hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Experiments or not."

They finally found a track just as the sun had reached its zenith, weak though it was in the icy region. The path through the Nibel mountains wound before them, treacherous and disused, but far faster than trying to make their own path through the snow. Leading far past the reactor and village and into the mountain range itself, the path was used by few but the most desperate hunters and treasure seekers, willing to risk the most dangerous monsters in the region for exotic pelts, or even more profitable, natural materia.

"You grew up around here?" Zack asked as they trod over the frozen ground.

"Yeah, Nibelheim is just at the base of Mt. Nibel."

"So, are names like Cloud common there?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

"It's my mother's sense of humour," Cloud grumbled, running a freezing hand through his spiky hair. "Nibel means 'Cloud or Fog' and heim means 'Home'... I think it was supposed to be 'Home in the Fog' because of all the mist in the valley. But she decided it was 'Cloud's Home'."

Zack leaned his head back and laughed, the sound reverberating through the empty valleys. "Oh, that's brilliant," he said. Cloud did not share in his mirth, lightly thwapping the back of the dark spikes.

"It'll be dark, soon," Cloud said once they had trekked further away from the valley. "We won't make it to the reactor today, we're going to need to find somewhere to sleep."

"This is your neck of the woods... or mountains. Any suggestions?"

"We should find a cave and sleep there." Cloud looked around, trying to see if he could spot any suitable sites. "Better get a fire going too, it's going to be cold."

Zack nodded, searching the horizon himself for any suitable caves. The snow had been particularly heavy recently, covering the slopes in uniformly thick sheets of powder. Even their super-humanly keen eyesight was not enough to distinguish the gaps in the blinding white landscape, to distinguish between a cave and a bare cliff before they were close enough to touch it. Any they could see in the distance were too far to reach that night. They continued walking along the mountainside, hoping that the next winding turn would find them a hospitable cave, bundling into their arms the stray twigs and branches they could find.

The sun had barely gone down when they finally found a suitable cave, a shallow grotto with a large overhang of thick rock protecting the entrance from the overflowing snow. Cloud walked inside, dropping his armload of branches to the rocky floor to inspect the area. The cave itself was mostly dry and free of snow, protected as it was by the surrounding rock formation.

"One of the few caves not formed by mako streams," Cloud said as he pressed his hand against the back wall, trying to feel the telltale heat. He pulled his hand back, shaking it in the air. It was just as freezing as the rest of their surroundings.

"That's good?" Zack asked, dropping his own pile of firewood on the cave floor.

"Less chance of falling into a mako pit." Something that Cloud had no intention of ever repeating. "Monsters also tend to gather close to mako."

Zack nodded, bending down to shake off the snow that had gathered on the branches. "This isn't going to be enough," he said after a few shakes. It seemed like they had gathered more snow than wood.

"How sharp's your sword?" Cloud asked as he peered around the entrance of the cave.

"Huh?" Zack turned his head, shooting him puzzled expression.

"Well, there's a tree not far from here." Cloud pointed back the way they came, though he could have pointed in any direction on the heavily forested slope.

With a quiet click of the magnetic holster, Zack pulled the broadsword from his back to look at it mournfully. "You want to cut down a tree with my sword?" he asked, puppy eyes widening and voice taking on the hint of a whine. "But you could damage it."

"No more than cutting through dragon scales," Cloud said, ignoring the pathetic looks as he took the sword from Zack's reluctant grasp. "I'll be careful with it. Come on."

The pair walked out from their brief shelter, Cloud swinging the blade experimentally as Zack followed behind. It really did feel good to have a sword in his hand again, he mused. It may not have been First Tsurugi, but he could appreciate any finely crafted sword, especially one that Zack valued.

"It's snowing," Zack said with a wistful smile as he looked up, a few snowflakes burying themselves in his hair.

"We really need the fire, then," Cloud said, quickening his pace. "We don't want to get snowed in."

Cloud passed the first tree he had noticed, deeming it too large, in favour of a young pine that only reached a few feet over Zack's head. Crouching down and with a single low swing, Cloud cut through the thick trunk at the base, leaving the tree to topple over into the snow. Standing the tree upright, he took the sword and sliced through the thin branches, stripping the ones bearing leaves and throwing the larger pieces for Zack to pick up. Pulling his two belts off, Zack tied the larger branches to the trunk and they hoisted the tree between them, carrying it over their shoulders back to the cave.

They piled up the branches at the entrance of the cave, small twigs and easily burnt branches at the bottom, followed by the thick chunks of wood that Zack was quickly carving off the trunk.

"If I remember survival training, the wood'll be too wet to burn properly," Zack said as he turned a hunk of particularly sap-soaked wood over in his hands.

"The benefits of materia," Cloud replied as he reached his hand towards the pile, a soft orange glow enveloping the branches moments before they caught fire, the damp wood sending thick plumes of black smoke into the air, surrounding the overhang before being caught by the breeze and sucked away into the open air.

"We need to get as much sleep as we can," Zack said after a particularly wide yawn.

Cloud nodded, lying down on his side against the hard rock floor, his arms joining to form a pillow for his head. Zack lay down behind him, one arm wrapping around the smaller man and pulling him closer to his chest.

"We'll finish walking tomorrow?" Zack murmured in askance against the blond hair.

"If we can go before sunrise, we should be able to get to the reactor about midday," Cloud answered back, shifting himself to get more comfortable... a nearly impossible task when sleeping on rock and dirt.

"Good. Had enough of cold," Zack muttered quietly, moments before he lay his head down against his arm and fell almost immediately asleep.

Cloud smiled, still marvelling at the teenager's ability to fall asleep instantly almost anywhere while he lay staring at the fire, waiting for sleep to come.


	6. JENOVA

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 6: J-E-N-O-V-A  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,738

The night passed peacefully, Cloud waking every few hours to throw more wood when the fire would burn too low, or sucker punch the occasional monster that would wander curiously into the cave, drawn by the thick black smoke oozing from the mouth of the cave. Zack would continue soundly sleeping through the entire time, even when the scuffles drew close or Cloud returned to nestle back against the large teenager.

Zack did not even wake at dawn, requiring Cloud to prod him into alertness. "Mmmmf... no... sleep," he said in a muffled groan, rolling over on to hard ground and covering his eyes with an arm.

"Get up," Cloud grumbled, grabbing Zack by the shirt and hauling him to his feet.

"Wah! I'm up, I'm up!" Zack yelled, flailing his arms as he was lifted off the ground. "Oh, it's morning already?" he asked once he had opened his eyes to the brilliant orange glow hinting at sunrise from beyond the confines of their shelter.

"Yes, and we need to get moving," Cloud said, kicking dirt over the remains of their fire to smother the still smouldering embers. His expensive new shoes were going to be ruined by their trek... he couldn't be happier.

"Right." Zack nodded and rubbed his eyes. With no equipment to gather, there was no reason to linger behind. The two set off into the blinding daylight, the morning sun reflecting off every ice covered surface to create a beautiful, though at times dangerously bright picture. Covering their eyes when the glare became too bad, they trekked back down the cliff face, rejoining the trail once they reached the bottom. "It'd almost be pretty if it wasn't so damn cold."

Cloud just shrugged as he walked alongside. It was all too familiar to him, both the scenery and the temperature, to be remarkable. "Imagine what it would be like if you didn't have mako."

Zack shivered, crossing his arms over his chest and rubbing them with his hands in exaggerated reaction. "We'd be dead, wouldn't we."

"Frostbite if we were lucky..." Cloud looked down at the flimsy suit he was wearing, never intended to be worn out of an air conditioned office. "But I wouldn't last a day in these clothes."

The trail seemed to move faster for them than the day before, Mt. Nibel looming larger with each step and the mako reactor, previously hidden between two arms of the great mountain, was beginning to rise above the level of the snow. The trees had cleared out long before they approached the reactor, the scarce signs of animals being replaced by frequent encounters with monsters, each one tougher and more deformed than the last. By midday, as predicted, they had reached the main path between Nibelheim and the reactor, the last leg of the journey that had taken Sephiroth into madness.

~o~o~o~o~

"Finally." Zack bent down to rest his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. They had covered over two half-days what would usually be a week long journey through the mountains, jumping over ravines and falling down cliffs that would have taken normal humans hours or even days to navigate.

"There's no signal out here," Cloud said, having pulled out his phone only to discover the annoying absence of signal bars. "We'll have to call transport once we're in the town."

"So we need to check out the reactor?" Zack asked, starting towards the towering metal structure.

"Yeah," Cloud replied, staring blankly at the entrance to the place that changed his life. So many horrible things had taken place inside that symbol of Shinra's greed, so many things that would change the world. Sephiroth's discovery of his past, his fall into insanity and his betrayal of his friends, badly injuring Zack and Cloud and leaving them to the experimental whims of Hojo.

He followed Zack after shaking his head clear of the memories, entering the security combination for them and walking through the familiar door into the perverse corrosive smell of purified mako. The first room was a minor control room, a monitoring station that would allow a glance at the status of the reactor to the maintenance teams that would be dispatched.

"Why do they keep the reactors unmanned?" Zack mused as he wandered past the rows of controls.

"My guess? Secrets and stupidity in equal parts." Cloud played with the controls, unsealing the doors that would allow them access deeper into the reactor, ignoring as Zack gaped open-mouthed at him. The boy would find out sooner or later about the misdeeds of Shinra, he would not lie to keep that naive worldview alive.

The heavy steel security door shuddered open, revealing a long walkway attached to the top of a thick pipe that travelled along the deep expanse, the faint glow of mako rising up from the misty depths. Cloud strode along the walkway, Zack following somewhat more gingerly behind, peering nervously down the cavern as they walked along.

"Scared of heights?" Cloud asked after checking for the teen over his shoulder, finding he had stopped halfway down.

"No... no. But... that's mako down there?" Zack asked, leaning over the railing for a better look at the swirling energy below.

"The reactor has to pull it up from deep inside the planet. Even in a place as rich as Mt. Nibel, it is difficult to pull the mako to the surface." Cloud pulled the SOLDIER away from the walkway, leading him through the door to where the real secrets lay.

"What is this place?" Zack asked as he stared up at the tiered layers of egg-shaped pods, each steel-grey container hooked up with an interconnected series of tubes. Flanked either side by pods, the centre of the room was dominated by wide stairs leading three tiers up to a sealed door, the letters "JENOVA" emblazoned upon the arch above.

"One of Hojo's dirty secrets," Cloud said, moving to the first of the pods. He pulled himself up to the round porthole until he could see inside, to confirm that it was the same horribly mutated monster he had seen before, grey skinned with spines and ridges deforming the feral face. It was not.

He dropped back down immediately and frantically started pulling the tubes out of the pod, steam hissing from the seals and streams of blue fluid pooling onto the floor. He ripped the door open and in a burst of steam and splash of mako a naked man fell into Cloud's arms.

"Who is he?" Zack gasped, running over to help Cloud lower the man to the floor. He looked so sickly as to barely pass as human, bald with all the hair removed from his body, featureless except the number 8 tattooed on his forearm.

"I don't know." Cloud answered truthfully, turning the man over to inspect him. He was definitely human, though his nails were slightly elongated, his fingers pointier than usual and his skin had a sickly grey pallor with a rough texture to it, like all the moisture had been sucked dry despite being suspended in fluid for so long. Placing two fingers on the man's neck, he deftly sought out the carotid artery, trying to find any hint of a pulse. "He's dead," he said, shaking his head sadly. "Check the other pods, there might still be people inside."

They both got to work in a mad rush, checking each porthole in turn for human occupants and draining the tanks of those they found. They opened the tanks one by one, releasing all the humans they could find from their imprisonment. They were all dead, unmoving when they dragged them out, unresponsive when checked for signs of life. The animals were next, poor creatures with fur seared away by mako, just as dead when they were released. That only left the monsters, the deformed creatures Cloud remembered from his nightmares, the only ones left alive in the pods. Floating in the mako, forever screaming, spikes of bone jutting from their skin, their hideously elongated teeth making it impossible for their jaws to close. One by one they released them from their pods, only for them to die gasping in the open air.

"What happened to them, Cloud?" Zack asked, trembling over the pile of corpses they had gathered at the foot of the stairs. Cloud put a hand over his shoulder, pulling the boy into a tight hug. He knew first hand how distressing seeing this for the first time was.

"They were all human, or animals, once," Cloud explained as Zack finally pulled away from the hug, though he left a soothing hand on the SOLDIERs back. "The ones that weren't able to handle the experiments... they died, and they were the lucky ones. The ones that could survive, they turned into what you see here."

"Shinra turned them... into monsters?" Crouching down to one of the bodies, Zack ran a hand over the greying skin of one of the victims, tiny scales flaking off under his fingers.

"You can't become a monster because someone stuck a needle into you." Placing a steady hand on Zack's shoulder, Cloud pulled the teenager away from the bodies. Thinking about monsters was a dangerous path to go down for a SOLDIER. "It's what you do that makes you a monster. The people who did this are monsters, not the... victims."

Zack nodded, wiping away the slight dampness that had been forming in his eyes. "What do we do with them?"

"We can't bury them, animals or monsters will start to dig them up." He looked out the door, to the walkway and the mako below. "We'll send them back to the lifestream."

"Lifestream?" Zack asked.

"Whenever someone dies, they return to the lifestream." Cloud explained. "It flows around the whole planet, giving life to the world and everything in it. Shinra calls it mako when it is sucked from the planet."

"You actually believe that stuff?" Zack looked incredulously at Cloud, his jaw dropping slightly.

"Maybe when you've seen what I have, you'll believe it too."

"You're laying way too much on me, Cloud." Zack exhaled, nervously sweeping his bangs back. "I've got to have some time to take it all in."

"I'll help you freak out when we get back," Cloud said, patting his friend on the back. "Until then, we have work to do."

They continued their grim task, one by one dragging each body out, animal, human or mutant and solemnly casting them over the railing into the waiting mako below. It did not take long before the platform was cleared, the remains of Hojo's victims sent back to the planet. That left just one last door: the one labelled "JENOVA".

Taking each step one at a time, Cloud swallowed his trepidation as he approached the door. The first time they had entered the reactor, the door was sealed shut, only being opened by Sephiroth's plea to his "mother". Pressing his hand against the door, he shoved it hard. The door swung open, encountering no resistance at all until it slammed loudly against the opposite wall, causing Zack to jump.

The seal had been broken. Jenova's prison was empty.

Cloud rushed into the room, tearing open the remaining strange containers and tubes in a frantic attempt to find any clue as to where the specimen had been taken.

Zack peered through the doorway. "What's wrong?"

"Jenova is the big dirty secret behind the reactor," Cloud explained. "And she's missing."

Gone.

With a yell, Cloud grabbed one of the thicker mako pipes and ripped it from the wall, steam and splashes of green fluid spraying out of the wounded pipe. It was one of the tubes that would 'feed' Jenova, now lying useless on the metal grating that passed for a floor. His rage was impotent, even his destruction would have no effect. Jenova was gone.

"She?" Zack asked, taking a tentative step into the room. "They were keeping another women in here?"

"Not a women, a virus... it's hard to explain." Cloud kicked one of the empty containers off to the side, reluctantly admitting to himself he would find no clues here. "The Jenova Project is something you don't want to have anything to do with."

"You brought me into it," Zack said, standing behind Cloud to peer over his shoulder.

"I guess I did." Cloud sighed, pressing past Zack and leaving the empty room behind him. "But some things you just don't want to know."

That admission earned an annoyed grumble from Zack, though he did not bring it up. "What do we do now?" he asked, following Cloud down the stairs.

"There's an old mansion in town, that's where the project began," Cloud said as they traversed the walkway back to the entrance. "I'll call for transport from there."

"Right." Zack nodded, needing no further questions until Cloud led him further down into the reactor, skipping the entrance room entirely. "Aren't we going outside?" he asked.

"There is a sewer system that leads between the reactor and the mansion." They went deeper into the reactor as Cloud talked, the stench of rot and mako becoming stronger with each step. "Just be careful, it's likely to be infested with Sahagin."

"Sahagin... lizard fish thingies right, with spears?"

They reached the elevator that would take them down to the sewers, an old style mostly mechanical car with twin metal link doors.

"Yes," Cloud said as he slid the doors open, the metal links folding back into the walls. "More of a nuisance than a threat." He folded the doors back once they had entered, beginning their slow descent into the deep underground of the sewers.

"I thought Nibelheim was a small town, why build such massive sewers?"

"I guess to move in between the reactor and the mansion without being seen."

Looking around at their surroundings, his guess would certainly seem logical. The moss covered stone walls surrounded a fairly clean path leading over a large reservoir, filled mostly with snow melt rather than any actual sewerage. He had never seen the sewers before, only knowing of their existence thanks to Vincent, who had used the sewers to avoid the heavily guarded path to the mansion.

The walkways twisted and turned, with abundant dead ends and other obstacles that seemed to serve no purpose but to confuse anyone trying to navigate it. The Sahagin were likewise a similar nuisance, inexplicable apart from their proximity to the water of the sewers, it was hard to tell if they were an experiment released into the surroundings without a care of the consequences or if they had been deliberately brought in to guard the path from any unwelcome intruders.

"Oh yeah!" Zack shouted gleefully as he theatrically kicked another Sahagin in the chest, sending it flying off the walkway and into the canals below. "Monster hunting." He turned to Cloud with a grin, who was calmly roasting one of the lizard's faces with his materia. "This is more like it."

"Don't get too carried away," Cloud chided lightly, throwing his own defeated opponent from the walkway with a powerful blast of magic. "We need to get to the other end, that's all."

"Angeal never lets me hunt monsters," Zack complained, ducking a wayward swing from a trident and riposting with a two handed stab, eviscerating the guilty Sahagin. "It's always training, training, training."

"Maybe he's trying to protect you." Cloud shrugged, seeing the last Sahagin falling into the water. Stretching his hand down towards the water, he sent a powerful lightning bolt into the depths below, electrifying the canal to make sure none of the monsters were still alive before they continued on their journey.

"Well, I don't need to be protected," Zack said, falling into line behind Cloud. "So don't you start getting any ideas."

"Ideas? I haven't-"

"You have," Zack said, cutting his protest off. "Trying to keep things from me. Not as bad as Angeal, but you have."

"I've told you more than anyone else. I can't tell you absolutely everything."

"I guess." Zack shrugged, slinging his sword back over his shoulder once no more enemies presented themselves. "Sorry, I'm just sick of people treating me like a child."

"You're sixteen. Everyone in SOLDIER is a child. The oldest member is... what, early twenties?"

Zack didn't reply, continuing to walk alongside Cloud as they wound their way through the sewers. Finally they came to some modern looking rooms, looking more like an office space than the steampunk iron-and-gears utilitarian features of the reactor.

"We're at the mansion, I guess?" Zack asked, Cloud shrugging in response as he looked for an exit. A few minutes of exploring and they found a similar elevator to the one in the reactor at the end of a sparsely furnished corridor. Riding the elevator up, they passed several floors of the same barren office space until the elevator reached it's top, opening up deep inside the mansion's library, rows and rows of dusty bookshelves filling their sight.

Wandering through the rows of books, Cloud wondered how the library managed to look so different from the first time he had seen it. The room was much larger, more bookshelves and long wooden reading tables. Perhaps Hojo had carefully manufactured what he wanted Sephiroth to see, removing the parts of the library that held information that would have calmed his rage. Walking further on, he found the table he remembered, where Sephiroth had piled books full of half-truths and lies. It was not surrounded by bookshelves as it had been been (would be?) but he could see the large grooves in the floor, tracks leading to the shelves on either side. Pulling on one of the shelves, he found it slid smoothly into place, creating a false wall that would hide the true extent of the library.

"That's weird," Zack said as Cloud pushed the shelf back into place. "Why do they move like that?"

"Maybe to hide the elevator," Cloud said. Well, hiding the elevator was just as likely as Hojo manipulating the information that Sephiroth could find.

Ignoring the library for the moment, Cloud led his companion out to the rocky cave-like corridor that served as an entrance to the labs, past the hallway door and to the stairs leading up into the mansion itself. "The mansion itself is up there," he said, indicating the treacherous spiral staircase bolted to the side of the large circular room. "Clear it out to make sure there's nothing running around. We may need to sleep here tonight."

"Think there'll be some food around?" Zack asked, accompanied by a loud rumbling from his stomach.

Cloud's own grumbled in sympathy - perhaps they should have caught some game last night. "See if you can find any, I'll get you to go to the village if you can't."

"Ok!" Zack nodded enthusiastically. "What'll you be doing?"

"I'll stay down here and try to get a phone line," Cloud replied, keeping himself between the door and his friend. "Just keep your sword out, you can count on there being a fight."

"Got it!" Zack grinned, drawing the sword from his back and rushing upstairs. Cloud waited until the teenager was out of sight before slamming his fist into the lock, shattering the jamb and swinging open the heavy door. He could have got the key, but this was faster and easier than trying to remember the combination for the safe upstairs.

The room was largely as he remembered it, many coffins lining the walls with a few laid out on the floor, covered in dust and cobwebs from being undisturbed for so many years. He walked over to one of the central coffins, indistinguishable from all the others. Not having bothered to find the keys - the idea of a coffin having a lock was one he didn't want to think about too much - he took hold of the lid and ripped it off, breaking and splintering the wood around around the lock until the whole thing snapped off and fell to the floor. So much for Yuffie's insistence that learning lockpicking would be a useful skill. Pushing the lid to the side, he was greeted by the red eyes of the coffin's occupant staring back at him.

"Hello, Vincent," Cloud said as the red-caped man sat up in the coffin, his golden-clawed gauntlet gripping the side to pull himself up.

"Who are you?" Vincent asked, slowly rising to his feet. "How do you know my name?"

"My name's Cloud, I'm one of Hojo's experiments," Cloud said, stepping back to allow Vincent to leave the coffin. The ex-Turk did so warily, his crimson cape billowing dramatically around him as he jumped over the side of the coffin to land in front of Cloud, towering over the short blond. "We don't have much time, but I need your help with Sephiroth." It was almost a game, try and fit as many Vincent-related keywords in as few sentences as possible.

"Lucrecia's child?"

"Here, take this," Cloud said, pulling a small package from his jacket pocket and shoving it in Vincent's arms. "It's a phone and a letter explaining everything you need to know. But you need to get moving before anyone finds you."

"A... phone?" Vincent gripped the package tightly, staring back at the blond.

"They work without cords now," Cloud said, pushing the reluctant and confused gunslinger out of the door, closing it behind him before he led Vincent into the library. "There is an elevator at the end, you can take the sewers out of the town. I will contact you once I get back to Midgar."

Vincent stopped at the elevator, turning to face the harried blond that was all but pushing him inside. "What is your part in this?" he asked.

Cloud sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Urgency, noun. Requiring speedy action or attention."

Vincent blinked slowly, trying to process the sarcasm into something useful. "I will head to Midgar, then," he said as he got into the elevator. "I will expect a good explanation."

"You'll get one," Cloud said as the elevator rumbled down, Vincent disappearing out of sight. He pulled out his cellphone once the man was gone, checking the screen to see if there was enough signal to finally phone in a transport.


	7. The Gloomy Mansion

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 7: The Gloomy Mansion  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,738

Cloud sighed, shoving the phone back into his pocket. As expected, the signal underground was less than impressive. Following Zack's path up the hidden spiral staircase, Cloud entered the bedroom on the top floor, noting that Zack had managed to figure out the hidden door in an impressively short amount of time. The bedroom was much as he remembered it from when he stayed here as a trooper, standing by the bed and watching the hidden door, but too terrified to go down and confront his General. Climbing up to the window, he sat on the windowsill, bringing his phone out to dial Reno.

_Cloud! _The phone picked up almost immediately to the redhead's relieved voice. _I heard that your plane went down. What happened?_

"Zack and I got out when it was hit," Cloud said, looking out the window to see if he could peer over the town. "Did the pilot come back?"

_Fair's OK? Phew, Angeal's been going crazy... damn, he nearly broke down Tseng's door when he heard the news. We found the wreck just south of Rocket Town, it wasn't pretty._

"We made it to Nibelheim on foot, but we're gonna need some transport out." He climbed back down from the window, having found it offered him no view of the town at all, instead sitting on the bed beside it. "From the reactor, not from the town."

_I'll pick you up myself. I'm in Rocket Town, I have to refuel but I could be there in six hours._

"Thanks, Reno. I'd better get going." Cloud closed the phone, shoving it back in his pocket as he rushed out of the room and into the foyer. "Zack!" he yelled, looking around for where the black haired man had got to.

"Over here!" Zack replied, peering around the door to the kitchen. Despite the horribly coloured blood splatters covering his hair and face, he was wearing a huge grin. "Couldn't find any food in the kitchen, sorry."

"Reno's gonna be here in six hours, we need to get a move on," Cloud explained as Zack jogged over.

"Aw, ok." He patted Cloud on the shoulder as the two joined together again, back down the steep spiral staircase into the underground. Grinning sheepishly, he pulled his phone from his pocket once it started beeping at him. "Sorry, Kunsel's been texting me non-stop. What do we need to do here?"

"We need to carry as many relevant books as we can back to the reactor," Cloud said as they entered the library. "Then we destroy the rest."

"Destroy them?" Zack asked, picking up a book and examining it's cover. "Why?"

"To make sure no one tries to repeat the experiments again." Cloud took the book from Zack's hands, throwing it on to the table. "See if you can find anything around to help us carry the books. I'll start making piles."

Zack nodded and Cloud began his work of selecting the books to take with him. It would not be easy to decide which ones to take with him and which ones to destroy in only four hours, given the two hours they would need to get to the reactor on time. But it was better that he lose some important information than to have it fall into the wrong hands, especially the dangerous misinformation that had some of the scientists convinced that Jenova was indeed one of the Cetra.

Most of the books were easy to pick between, mass printings of scientific literature, encyclopedias, various standard textbooks and references. These he just left on the shelves, not caring if they were left behind or destroyed if the fire spread. Anything that was written by Hojo, he threw into the pile to be burned, not trusting that anything the madman had left behind to be helpful or accurate. Much of the work by other scientists on the Jenova Project was also thrown on the pile, after a brief check to make sure there was nothing of value to be gained from the tomes.

Zack had come back with several standard infantry backpacks from the locker rooms of the guards once stationed here, explaining that they could carry one on their backs and two in each hand, and they could be loaded heavily with books without breaking. Cloud started stuffing the backpacks with books, mostly either of Professor Gast's work, or of Lucrecia's research into Omega, getting Zack to help him by discarding commercially available books and bringing anything original to the blond so he could decide its fate.

Eventually the packs were full, research notes and books packed in until the canvas creaked under the strain. Satisfied with the result, they dragged the packs to the elevator, piling the rest of the books at the end of the room.

"This won't make the town catch fire, will it?" Zack asked as he rolled a fire materia in his fingers.

"This place is entirely underground. It won't catch past the stairwell." Before he set the books alight, Cloud walked up to the door he had been dreading. It wasn't the library he feared, but the cramped room off to the side, where Hojo conducted his... practical experiments, the place that Cloud and Zack had been imprisoned for five long years, a place he would rather not have this young Zack see the inside of. Clenching his fist, he opened the door and in an instant raised his hand, sending a small orange bolt of fire inside. He slammed the heavy door shut just before the explosion sounded, the wood on the door splintering and the metal bracing buckling, though the door stood up to the force.

"What was that for?" Zack recovered from his shock of the large bang, tilting his head at the blond in curiosity.

"The lab where he kept me," Cloud said, knowing at least that the answer would stop Zack from prying. "I did not want to see it again."

"Oh... ok."

"Let's get going." Cloud picked up one of the heavy backpacks, strapping it securely to his back, Zack following suit with his own pack.

"The elevator's down," Zack said, peering down the empty shaft and hitting the button to call the cab. "Must automatically drop to the bottom."

Cloud just nodded, not wanting to contradict him. They dragged the packs into the cab, Cloud taking one final look around the library before throwing a smaller bolt of energy at the books, the dry paper catching fire immediately. Zack reached over and closed the doors, hitting the button down. Just before the floor rolled up above their heads, they could see the flames quickly spreading along the pile, the column of fire extending high enough to lick at the ceiling.

"I'm kinda glad I can't tell anyone about this," Zack said once they could no longer hear the crackle of flames.

Cloud turned to look at him. "Why's that?"

Zack shrugged. "I don't know where I'd even start to explain."

"I can relate to that." Cloud chuckled softly and half-heartedly.

The cab stopped at the bottom floor with a judder, bringing them to the smell of unrestrained mold and stagnant water. Picking up their packs, they trod down the walkway, tracing back the steps they had taken a few hours before. The path was mostly clear of the Sahagin, the ones they had killed on their journey to the mansion either serving as a warning to the others, or they simply did not have the numbers from Cloud and Zack's enthusiastic culling.

"I never thought books could be so heavy," Zack complained as he dragged his burden through the canals, adjusting his grip on the straps every time they were able to pause for a moment. His superhuman strength was still struggling to cope with the vast weight of the books as they were carried.

"They're heavier than you'd think," Cloud replied, himself coping rather better than Zack was during the journey. He also had the added advantage of not having to drop the bags to kill a stray Sahagin, merely pointing his arm at the lizardfolk to incinerate them before they got close.

Neither the weight of the books nor the resistance on the way back was enough to slow them down, arriving at the elevator on the other end of the sewer nearly an hour earlier than Cloud had planned. They took a short break after loading their cargo on the elevator, to allow Zack to at least catch his breath.

"I swear, when we get back the first thing I do will be to eat an entire cow," Zack moaned, leaning back against the elevator wall as the cab rumbled upwards.

"Make that two." Cloud slumped to the floor beside him. Neither had eaten a decent meal in the nearly two days that they had been out in the Nibelheim area, whatever rations they could have hoped for gone up in flames with their transport.

"Should've gone into town for food," Zack said, picking up the packs once the elevator had ground to a halt.

"Too risky," Cloud replied as he opened the doors and hauled his own baggage into the air. "When we get back, we're going to the fanciest restaurant in Midgar... or at least, the fanciest one that serves giant steaks."

"You promise?" Zack asked with a grin as they left the elevator.

"Sure, I'll even pay for it." Cloud smiled back. "I think we'll have to take a shower first, though."

"Deal!" Zack laughed, dragging the backpacks up the winding stairways. An arduous journey of half dragging, half carrying the canvas packs up the steep stairs later, they were able to drop their luggage in the entrance, even Cloud sighing with relief as he unclipped the pack on his back and let it fall from his shoulders.

"I see what you mean about the weight," Cloud groaned as he slumped against the closest control panel. He wouldn't be surprised if there were several hundred kilos of books that they'd been lugging all this way. Zack just glared at him, unclipping his own backpack and letting himself drop to the floor in exhaustion.

"No more stairs ever."

Cloud smirked, pushing one of the packs on to its side. "Maybe we can get Reno to load them."

"When's he supposed to arrive?" Zack asked, sitting up and shimmying himself back against the wall.

Cloud shrugged, opening his phone to check the time. "In an hour, but I guess it could be any time." He sighed. "We should get these to the helipad."

Zack groaned, reluctantly getting to his feet and strapping his backpack on once again. Neither of them bothered to pick up the packs, instead dragging them the short distance outside the reactor.

"Well, he's not here yet," Zack said as they left the warm reactor and entered the icy embrace of Mt. Nibel, finding the helipad annoyingly empty.

"Let's just get these books over there." Cloud dragged his own sacks ahead, pulling them up the metal stairs and dumping them at the edge of the helipad. Zack grudgingly followed, slowly dragging the packs up the metal mesh walkways until he too dumped them next to the already impressive pile.

"Next time we bring some grunts along to carry the loot, yeah?" Pulling himself up into a cross-legged position, Zack resting his back against the pile of books.

"Hey, I was a grunt once," Cloud grumbled, lying down next to his companion.

"Fine, fine. We'll bring a car."

Cloud chuckled. "No complaints here."

They sat there in the cold, waiting for the helicopter to arrive as they talked, Cloud trying to reassure Zack about the events of the past two days, about the world changing experiences he had seen. The experiments that Shinra had covered up, the victims not even left to rot, suspended in their preserving fluid until they were no longer useful. For most of his life, Zack had believed Shinra to be the good guys, fuelled by their pervasive influence and pernicious propaganda, every stream of information to him doled out drop by drop from the tap of Shinra, Inc.

"You intend to destroy Shinra?" Zack asked once the blond had finished his explanations.

"Not if I can help it," Cloud replied, still unsure as to how much he should be telling Zack. Thinking and thinking on it had not provided him with a clear choice, each time he would reach a decision, he would come up with ten more reasons to go the other way. "Shinra is the government, now. I don't know what would happen if it just collapsed. Would another Shinra take its place? I don't know what I'll do yet."

"But you've stopped the experiments." Zack got to his feet, beginning to pace around the edge of the helipad. "I mean, you're doing something, right?"

"Something, yes. But it won't be enough." Cloud looked up, seeing that Zack had stopped to look at something in the distance, he followed his gaze to see the small profile of a helicopter appearing around the mountain. "We shouldn't talk about this near Reno."

"The Turk?" Zack asked, looking back at the blond. "Yeah, I guess that'd be a bad idea."

They could soon hear the echoing drone of the powerful rotors reverberating through the twisting valleys, the faint profile soon turning into a distinct helicopter, glowing brightly in the fading sunlight, red Shinra diamond emblazoned on the door.

"You know Reno?" Cloud asked, shifting his focus from the approaching helicopter to his fellow warrior.

Zack shook his head, rolling his shoulders as he paced. "Never met him. Just know he's one of the Turks. You do, though?"

"He's supposed to be my temporary assistant," Cloud said. "Or hindrance, whatever the correct title is."

"He's getting in your way?" Zack asked, stopping his pacing and look back at the blond curiously.

"Not intentionally, he's just..." Cloud shrugged. "He's got your attention span."

"Hey! I'm great at my job!" Zack protested, pouting back.

"I'm sure he's fine at... Turking." He wasn't quite successful in finding a verb. "How good do you think you'd be at filing budgets?"

"Ok, point taken." Zack laughed, his final words almost drowned out by the sound of the helicopter approaching for landing. The craft swung around them, circling the pad before it finally drained off enough momentum to drop down on the concrete.

Fighting against the downwash, Cloud opened the door to the rear of the helicopter, letting Zack throw two of the backpacks into the cargo hold. They both hurried back, each hauling the packs two at a time into the storage space until they had ferried them all. Closing and securing each side of the door, they walked around each side and boarded the helicopter.

"Yo Cloud! Man, you guys look like shit!" Reno yelled over the roar of the rotors as soon as they had closed the doors and fitted their headsets. They took off immediately, banking to the side heavily to get clear of the mountain.

"Thanks, Reno," Cloud muttered. "Where are we going?" he asked as they clicked their seatbelts - rather than the previously annoying safety harnesses - in place.

"Rocket town," Reno said. "It's got an airstrip there, we'll get a plane back to Midgar when we land."

Cloud nodded, despite Reno not being able to see him. Sitting back in his chair, he looked out the window at the shrinking Nibelheim reactor, sparkling in the remaining daylight as part of the always breathtaking sight of the sun sinking over Mt. Nibel.

"How long will it take us to get to Midgar?" Zack asked over the headset. "I'm starving."

"It'll be overnight, just pick up some grub in Rocket Town," Reno replied. "So what shot you down?"

"A dragon," Cloud said quickly, before Zack could join in. "Decided it liked the look of the plane."

"Damn." Reno whistled as he tilted the helicopter forward, into a slow dive as they left the mountains and entered the plains stretching towards Rocket Town. "So you jumped out?"

"Someone had to kill the dragon." Zack nudged the blond, giving him a wink. "I jumped out to kill it, Cloud here decided to take his chances with the mountain rather than the plane."

"Must of been one hell of a lucky landing," Reno said. "Still, good call... that plane was a wreck."

Cloud nodded along as he looked out the window, at the faint outline of a town that was growing in the distance. It looked smaller than he remembered, but it was obvious even from here that the eponymous rocket was still being built, so the only buildings around would be related to that project. Tethered near the launch pad was the great airship Highwind, bustling with activity as the workers unloaded the cargo it carried. Still closer, he could see that there were only a few permanent buildings around the site, not yet the houses and hotels that would be built once it became a tourist destination, but a great number of tents and prefabs housing temporary workers.

The one thing that was absolutely the same was Cid's house, a long and empty airstrip running out from the edge of his yard. Of course he would have built the house as soon as the project started, to stay day and night to look over his dream of being the first person into space.

The helicopter came in low, rattling the house and flapping the tents with its powerful downwash. They circled briefly around the rocket, dropping speed before they went into a tight turn to drop the aircraft right onto the grass.

"Showing off, Reno?" Cloud muttered as the queasy feeling returned into his stomach from the sharp turns. "If I throw up in here you're cleaning it up."

"Aw, man," Reno said in a sad whine, turning around in his seat once he had killed the engine. "You get airsick? Shit, I'm sorry. Please don't tell Tseng."

The blond just mumbled in reply, throwing his safety belt off and jumping from the helicopter, eager to get solid ground under his feet as quickly as possible. He stood there as the rotors slowly wound down to a stop, hands on knees while waiting for the wave of nausea to pass. His motion sickness had improved considerably since his teenage years, though it was cured completely when he was under the delusion of being a cocky and arrogant SOLDIER First. It had returned somewhat with the regaining of his memories, but it had gone away for the most part, unless he was violently rocked around in a vehicle he couldn't control.

"Your pilot's a guy named Cid." Reno pointed towards the large house they had landed near, looming its dark silhouette against the pale glow of twilight. "The stuff you chucked in the back, does that need to go with you?"

Cloud nodded, walking around the back of the helicopter to check on the dangerous cargo. "It's... well, classified," he called back once he had made sure it was secure, with no stray books falling out. "No one can see what's inside."

"Gotcha." Reno nodded to Cloud before leaning back into the cockpit. "I'll get it shifted to your plane, don't worry."

They thanked Reno for the ride, though the redhead just brushed it off with a short joke. Trusting the books to Reno's hands, Cloud led Zack down the short path to the house of Cid Highwind.


	8. Cid

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 8: Cid  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,135

"It looks like the professor survived the crash," Sephiroth said as he returned the phone to its receiver, turning back to face the guest in his office. Angeal had been a frequent visitor ever since news had reached them of Genesis' departure, an encounter that allowed both reserved men an outlet for their frustrations, even if it took the repressed form of discussing the strategic implications of Genesis defecting, or the implications of a Shinra cover-up over their friends whereabouts.

"And Zack?" Angeal asked, only barely able to refrain from wringing his hands in anticipation.

"Your student survived as well," Sephiroth said, crooking the faintest of smiles as the visible wave of relief washed over his friend, pushing out the anxiety that had been cramping him for the past day.

"I swear I am going to kill him when he gets back." Having loosened up enough to sit down in one of the guest chairs, Angeal did so, resting the Buster Sword against the wall and finally allowing himself to enjoy the comfort without worry.

"You would kill Fair?" Sephiroth raised one thin eyebrow as he asked. "Would that not defeat the purpose... or do you mean Strife?"

"Whatever you want to call Hojo Version Two," Angeal said with a huff, glancing over to his resting sword, as if he was considering picking it up and killing the scientist from there. "Who does he think he is, taking my student? Going over my head to Lazard and then nearly getting him killed?"

"From what I understand, he merely asked for an escort and Lieutenant Fair was offered," Sephiroth replied. "I highly doubt that Strife knew who he was, let alone that he was your student."

"I'd rather have someone to blame." Angeal shrugged off Sephiroth's explanation, causing a faint chuckle to issue from the General at his companion's odd reasoning. "You're on a first name basis with the professor now?"

"Strife is his last name."

"Oh."

Sephiroth blinked slowly. "You thought his name was Strife Cloud?"

Angeal shrugged. "To be honest it could have gone either way. Do you know why the plane crashed?"

"A dragon... apparently," Sephiroth added after a moment, the word spoken in such a way to plainly advertise his skepticism. "Common in the Nibel mountains, but it seems very _unusual _for it to attack a transport."

"It seems fishy to me. I don't trust him."

"It certainly does," Sephiroth said with a sharp nod. "But I would hardly accuse the professor of nefariously trying to get himself killed."

Angeal rested his chin in his hand, elbow leaning on the arm rest of his chair as he paused for a a moment before speaking. "You like him."

Sephiroth blinked. "Like?" he said, rolling the word over in his mouth as if getting a taste for it. Did he like the new head of the science department? As a replacement for Hojo, certainly, although there was the nagging feeling he had ever since his meeting with the blond. Hojo was the devil he knew, the man whose motivations, however foul, were ones he understood and could make plans for. Strife was a mystery wrapped in an enigma, it seemed that the more he found out about the man the less he knew. "I have only met him once... I admit, I can relate to him better than Hojo, but that is not difficult."

Angeal hmm'ed in response, keeping his 'thinking man' pose as he kept his gaze firmly fixed on Sephiroth's face, watching closely for any minute change in expression. "Something tells me it's more than that. You've been tight lipped about it, but I know you've been looking into him."

"There is a... troubling inconsistency about him." Not to mention the troubling familiarity he could not explain, that put Sephiroth off balance as soon as he met the man. "There are many pieces to his puzzle, but none of them fit together very well."

"Pieces?"

"His eyes have the glow of mako. He seems to regard himself as an experiment of Hojo's," Sephiroth said, his usual layer of restraint between his thoughts and words breaking down, each of his musings being immediately vocalised to his companion. "But which experiment? He is older than us, so a precursor to SOLDIER?"

Angeal looked up, a puzzled expression plastered all over his features. "A soldier scientist?"

"Well, no," Sephiroth said, shaking his head. "He's... tiny. You could mistake him for a teenager if not for the way he carries himself. Hojo would not have picked him for a warrior."

"Physical power isn't the only thing mako can enhance," Angeal said, the gears turning over in his head as he considered Shinra's newest executive in a new light. "It enhances your manual dexterity, your ability with materia, your eyesight... maybe even things we don't know of."

Sephiroth nodded to each point made. "So perhaps SOLDIER had an entirely different objective in the beginning?"

"Creating a super-scientist?" Angeal chuckled at the thought. "It does sound like something Hojo would do... though if it worked, wouldn't he have given himself the treatment?"

"Perhaps it didn't work," Sephiroth replied thoughtfully, as each piece of the puzzle seemed to fit more into place. "That would certainly explain why he killed Hojo."

Angeal's eyebrows shot up. "So he did kill Hojo. Himself."

"Yes. He admitted as much to me," Sephiroth said, his eyes flicking up to the clock on the wall. "The Second Classes should be gone by now, shall we take this to the training room?"

Angeal nodded, although reluctantly. While training was one of the few ways he had to blow off steam, it had been tainted forever by that fateful day barely more than a month ago. It had started with their standard spar, Angeal and Genesis against Sephiroth, when Genesis, ever hotheaded and eager to prove his prowess, had decided to take Sephiroth on alone. The duel quickly escalated as the redhead become more and more frustrated with his inability to lay a scratch on the smirking general, who was batting aside each of his attacks with infuriating ease. The battle reached a point where Angeal felt he had to intervene, blocking both of their attacks with his two swords. Genesis refused to relent, however, and shattered the broadsword with his own rapier, the largest shard slicing through his shoulder and drawing a vicious wound.

A mere cut to the shoulder, however deep, should not have fazed a First Class SOLDIER for long, however Genesis' wound did not heal and his condition became progressively worse. Despite this, he concealed his injury from all that he could, eventually being sent to command the Wutai front, where he had recently disappeared along with numerous Second and Third class SOLDIERs. Since the news that Genesis had disappeared and the knowledge of what had caused it, he had never been able to look at the training room in the same light again.

Standing from their respective chairs, they picked up their swords, Masamune from its decorative mount on the wall and the Buster Sword from where it had been leaning next to the door. One of the advantages of the small SOLDIER floor was that their offices were such a short distance from the training rooms, sneaking in for a quick spar or practice mission being only a handful of steps away.

Swords in hand, the pair circled each other as soon as they had stepped foot in the room. They had not bothered to activate the training room, whereas Genesis would always be insisting that they fought in the most spectacular and improbable of arenas, neither Sephiroth nor Angeal cared for the scenery, their attention only paid to the grace, the motion and the power of the fight. Neither one was willing to make the first move, continuing to pace in circles as they measured each other up. They knew each other well enough to pick up on the minor signs that would change the particular days combat. Angeal was wielding a standard issue broadsword, not willing to risk damaging his prized Buster Sword in a spar, though it was still on his shoulder, weighing him down. Sephiroth as always had Masamune in hand, though the materia slots were conspicuously empty - they would not be sapping his strength in exchange for magical power, making the swordsman more formidable than usual in physical combat.

The first strike came from Angeal, slicing from his right in a low chop to the legs that Sephiroth's high, over the shoulder style had difficulty in blocking. But a block was not required, Sephiroth's quick footwork taking him out of reach of the blade, responding with a quick downwards thrust towards the chest. Angeal deflected it just in time, spinning his body as he brought his blade back up, the grating sound of metal sliding against metal filling the room as Sephiroth's thrust harmlessly fell off his blade. With the first awkward strikes taken, they fell into the familiar rhythm of the first stage of battle, tiring the opponent out.

"What do you think Strife is doing in Nibelheim?" Angeal asked as he followed through a powerful overhead chop that Sephiroth had no choice but to block. He had the advantage in this stage, being of a sturdier build than the slim general he could out endure him - at least while the fighting was still friendly.

"It is his hometown, if his records are accurate," Sephiroth replied, responding to the attack with three quick thrusts in rapid succession.

Angeal barely managed to keep up with the quick strikes, deflecting one, dodging the other and being forced to accept a near miss on the last. "I thought his records said he was a fourteen year old trooper," he said once he was not so sorely pressed.

"He joined the infantry so he could get close enough to Hojo," Sephiroth said, backing off to allow Angeal some breathing room. He did not want to end the fight so early. "I think his records are mostly accurate, now."

"Why the infantry?" Angeal rejoined the fight with a basic slash.

"It would be a good choice," Sephiroth replied, blocking the move with ease. "Infantry get access to enough of the building and there would be less risk of Hojo recognising him under a helmet."

"Something still seems off about it." Another swipe, another parry.

"Indeed. However Nibelheim holds the first reactor that Shinra ever built," Sephiroth said, keeping on the defensive with broad, easy strokes blocking the powerful swipes of his opponent. "That may be more relevant than a visit to his hometown."

"The first reactor," Angeal mused, pulling back from his attacks for another short break. "I wonder what secrets it holds."

"It would be of more interest to a scientist than to me," Sephiroth replied, a quick thrust teasing Angeal's defenses.

Angeal nodded, deflecting the thrust easily and following through with a swipe from the opposite side, aimed at Sephiroth's midsection. The general quick-stepped back, too overextended to block the attack, sucking in his belly to avoid a nasty cut. Angeal did not relent, using Sephiroth's off balance to his advantage, swinging in awkward strokes that required unconventional moves to bring the unwieldy Masamune to parry.

The problem with Angeal, Sephiroth mused, is that he knew his fighting style too well. While he outclassed the other SOLDIER in almost every area, Angeal would never forget a single move used against him and every training session there would be another parry or another attack that Sephiroth had to think on his feet to counter, his practiced moves never being enough to win against a man who knew all his weaknesses. It was the best training he could hope for.

"Enough," Angeal finally called, after a few near misses had signalled they were in danger of injuring each other, or rather that Sephiroth was in danger of injuring him.

"It isn't the same, is it?" Sephiroth lowered his sword, a deep frown etched on his face.

Angeal shook his head. "It won't be the same, not until he's back."

"You are still sure he will come back."

"He has to." Angeal sheathed his own weapon, the smaller sword making a lopsided cross with the larger Buster Sword on his back. "He's family. He's just... scared, he'll listen to reason."

"I am not so sure," Sephiroth replied, "that reason would cause him to change his mind."

Angeal turned, looking curiously at his friend. "Why do you say that?"

Sephiroth's face fell into a troubled look, his shoulders sinking at the thought. "Because I think reason would tell me to go with him. If he asked, I'm not sure I could say no."

~o~o~o~o~

They could only see the details of the house once they had approached further, a squat bungalow painted in an earthy brown and surrounded on all sides with a picket fence. The house was very similar to the one from Cloud's memories, though the clean paint and pale wood were clear signs of the house's recent construction. The house even sported a long solid dirt runway, most likely used as a landing strip for cargo planes, to be quickly abandoned once the project was cancelled.

"Ah! Been expecting you!" Cloud did not have a chance to knock before the door opened and the familiar voice called out, Cid Highwind standing standing in the doorway framed by the soft light of the living room. "You must be Professor Strife! Pleased ta meetcha."

Taken somewhat aback by the amiable greeting, it took Cloud a few moments to accept the proffered hand and offer a few mumbled words in greeting back. "This is Lieutenant Fair," he said.

"M'names Cid, I'm the chief engineer on the space program." Cid broke the enthusiastic handshake and ushered them both inside, seating them down in the spartanly decorated living room. "Take a seat," he said as he headed for the kitchen. "I'll make ya some tea. You want anything to eat?"

"We're starving! Anything'd be good!" Zack called happily from the couch.

"I'll make some sandwiches!" Cid called back, his friendly words causing Cloud's head to spin, the differences between his first introductions to Cid being too hard to reconcile. Did the failure of the rocket really change an upbeat man into the cantankerous bastard they befriended?

"It's good to have you here, sir. We've worked closely with the science department…"

"I get it," Cloud said with a chuckle once Cid had returned from the kitchen, setting their tea and sandwiches down on the table. Of course, Cid would want his help - though his personality had definitely changed, previously he wouldn't have given a damn about being polite to someone when he needed their help. "You want my help... on the project, I guess?"

"No no no, it's, well yes..." Cid flailed about a bit. "Goddamn it! I just want that numbskull Palmer outta here! I don't know shit about you but even if you're only as smart as a chocobo's arse like your hair suggests, you'd be better than that arsehole!"

The room fell into a stunned silence following the engineer's outburst, as Cid's brain caught up with his mouth and realised what he had just said to Shinra's newest executive. Zack just sat there, jaw slack and gaping at the same, silently glad he was too shocked to giggle at the description of his superiors hair.

Cloud himself just blinked for a moment, processing the large amount of information thrown at him in the space of a few seconds before breaking out in a wide grin that he couldn't suppress. That was definitely the Cid he remembered.

"If ya could back me with the board, I'd be willing ta offer you-"

"The Highwind," Cloud said after a moment's thought.

"My airship?" Cid looked up in shock, cigarette nearly falling from his mouth. "You want my baby?"

Cloud considered this for a moment. It had only been a stray thought when he blurted it out, but really he had no plan outside of finding Jenova, then destroying her… somehow. He had only briefly considered the possibility that he would not be able to destroy Jenova and if that were the case, he would need to be able to move her without Shinra knowing. Helicopters were out, the Highwind would be his only option.

"I was just thinking it'd have been much easier if we coulda taken the Highwind on this mission," Cloud said, hoping the man wasn't going to burn a hole in the carpet. "I'd just want to borrow it - and you - when I need an airship."

Zack nodded enthusiastically beside him. "Giant ship like that? Awesome! I always see the model of it in the Shinra building... I can't wait to ride in the real thing!"

"Hm," Cid scratched his chin as he thought it over. "Letting you use the Highwind... think ya can get Palmer outta the way?"

_I could shove him out a window, I guess,_ Cloud thought somewhat morbidly. Palmer may have been one of the many frustrating imbeciles he'd had to deal with over the years, but he was... mostly harmless. He'd had the chance to kill the man before, though back then something had stayed his hand, perhaps a touch of mercy he had since lost?

"I can back you," Cloud said after a short moment of contemplation. "But the President doesn't trust me. I guess he just needs to trust Palmer less."

"Well, I'll give ya run of the damn ship," Cid said as he stubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray. "But just you! I don't want science department arseholes using my baby as a taxi left right and center."

"Don't worry about that," Cloud said. "For now, we just need to get back to Midgar."

"We're taking the Highwind, then?" Zack tried to hide his grin.

"Damn right we will!" Cid exclaimed, knocking over a few empty teacups as he thumped the table.

"We have some cargo..." Cloud started, before he was cut off with a dismissive wave of Cid's hand.

"Round up some of those good for nothing mechanics and get them to haul it in." Cid stood from his seat, collecting the scattered plates and cups and loading them back on the tray. "You two head for the ship, I'll meet ya there."

With that dismissal they left the house, thanking Cid for the much needed food. The sun's light had finally disappeared when they stepped outside, the pale glow of twilight replaced with the deep blue of night, tinted barely by the sliver of moon peeking through the clouds. Reno's helicopter was still where they had left it, a squat mako fuelling truck parked beside and several workmen loading the books on to a cart.


	9. Highwind

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 9: Highwind  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 2,104

"Seems like everyone wants to be your friend," Zack said behind his cheeky grin once they had cleared the front lawn.

Cloud did not reply, staying instead deep in his own thoughts as they walked back to the helicopter. Was it sentimentality that was leading him towards old friends? Reno to a certain extent, Zack definitely and now Cid? He was dragging his friends into his fight just because he felt insecure without being able to rely on their support. They had followed him willingly before, but this was different... before, they knew the risks and if anything, Cloud had been dragged in as much as they were; now, Cloud knew the risks but was not telling them.

"Hey!" Zack called with a wave to the workers around the helicopter. "We're taking that stuff to the Highwind, kay?"

Cloud looked at his friend, one of those glances that makes you wonder if you're seeing them for the first time. Silver moonlight highlighting the tips of his hair, bathing his face in a light that made him seem even more pale, even more young than before. _I don't need to be protected. So don't you start getting any ideas. _The words had been running around his brain ever since Zack had spoken them. He hadn't really considered that Zack, or any of his friends really, would resent him trying to protect them by taking the whole burden alone.

_You never lied to me, thinking you were protecting me. You never stopped me doing something I believed in because you thought I might get hurt. Why am I doing it to you, then?_

"Zack," Cloud said quietly, standing beside his friend as the workers hauled their cargo off. "I know I brought you into this without asking, so... can you help me?"

"You mean..." Zack turned his head slightly, just enough so that Cloud could see the slow blink of his eyes. "You would need to tell me more," he said with a sigh.

"I will," Cloud said with his own slow nod. "Then... I guess it's up to you if you want to help or not."

They continued walking, keeping the cart of books in sight at all times as they followed the workers to the airship. Zack seemed to have enough sense not to respond to Cloud's promise with a joke or dismissal, instead just nodding and keeping quiet enough for the moody blond to think.

The launch site was impressive, not just for the sight of the towering steel structure that held the rocket upright, nor the extensive scaffolding that surrounded both landmarks, but also for the industrious workers, still toiling long after sunset under moonlight and torchlight, riveting, welding and hammering away at their great achievement. The Highwind attached to it was just as busy, fuelling tanks being hooked up by winding tubes and airmen slowly releasing tethers as it was preparing for its impromptu journey.

They walked up the winding metal ramps of the launch site, carefully avoiding the scurrying mechanics that would rush past them. Their cartload of books was carefully attached to a crane as they looked on, hoisted up into the Highwind's ample cargo space. One of the crew greeted them on the steps, ushering them up on to the familiar deck of the airship, the airmen cast the tethers and fuel pipes off the desk in preparation for launch.

"You're brooding again," Zack said once they had been shown their cabin, the SOLDIER dumping his standard issue broadsword on his bed once they entered.

"I'm allowed to," Cloud replied with a sullen pout as he picked up the abandoned weapon, instead leaning it against the wall. "I've got a lot to think about."

"Yeah?" Kicking off his boots and lying on the bed, Zack cast a look at the blond who was sitting on the edge of his own bed.

"Yeah," Cloud simply repeated, as he glanced around the cabin. Thin metal walls and a barely covered floor, complete with a small porthole to act as a window. Two beds of standard military issue that you could find in any barracks, opposite which were two floor-to-ceiling lockers. Cloud knew from experience that all the cabins in the ship shared the same spartan design, the only exceptions being any of the rooms that his companions decided to spend money decorating, or the executive cabin set aside for the president.

"Sure you don't wanna talk?" Zack asked, bouncing slightly on the bed as he tested the springs. Another thing Cloud knew from experience, they were terrible.

"Not here, no," Cloud said, lying down flat on the bed. A faint whine filled the cabin as the engines were started, slowly decreasing in pitch as the turbines picked up speed and engaged the propellers, until the entire cabin was bathed in a dull roar.

"Well, we can talk about something, right?" Zack asked, rolling over the bed to face the blond. "You're not worried someone will look at those books?"

"No," Cloud replied. "They're only really dangerous in the hands of a couple of people, and only if they have them all."

"But someone could take them all."

"No one on this ship would take them." Cloud rolled over to face his companion, slapping his forehead with his palm. "I shouldn't have said that, should I?"

Zack grinned back. "Want me to check on them?"

"Yeah, you do that," Cloud said, rolling back to his previous position. "I'm getting some sleep."

Lying back on the bed with his hands resting behind his head, Cloud stared at the ceiling as his thoughts drifted off. The trip had been a partial success, once Vincent had reached Midgar he could convince his old friend to conduct the missions he couldn't without attracting the attention of Shinra. The books he had salvaged may be useful to finding out more about Gast's work, but most importantly they would be out of the hands of...

Cloud sat up, a bad feeling suddenly washing over him. He had left Zack to go, on his own, down to check the books... something was not right.

Climbing from the bed, he eyed the sword Zack had left behind. He could be walking into a trap, completely unarmed. It was very likely that the summoner who had taken their plane down was also the one who had stolen Jenova, so they would have had to have contacts in Shinra, deep enough to find out about Cloud's travel to Nibelheim in the short hours between him telling Reno of the destination and their arrival on the Eastern Continent. It was also likely that they would want to secure any remaining books from Hojo's library.

Resting Zack's sword on his shoulder, he opened the door to their cabin and rushed out, nearly bowling over a black haired SOLDIER as he rushed to Zack's rescue.

"Worried about me?" Zack grinned as Cloud stopped his rush to avoid slamming into him.

"Uh... yeah." Cloud dropped the sword from his shoulder, handing it back to the SOLDIER. _Didn't you already decide that you needed to stop trying to protect him?_

"The books are fine, let's get some sleep."

~o~o~o~o~

The flight to Midgar was thankfully not as eventful as their flight out just a few days before, carrying them in relative comfort through the entire journey. Zack had shown his disturbing tendency to sleep anywhere and had fallen asleep almost as soon as he got under the covers. Cloud, already used to long trips on the Highwind with nothing but the droning engines to send him off, followed not long after.

They were woken by one of the airship's crew knocking on their cabin to let them know they had arrived, the gentle twilight before morning not enough to wake them before they arrived under the oppressive Midgar sky.

"I need a hundred showers, _at minimum_," Zack said as he threw the covers off, rising from the bed and beginning his morning stretches.

"Would you put some clothes on before you do that?" Cloud complained, rising from the bed himself and searching the floor for his scattered clothes. He had forgotten that dumping things on the floor of a moving airship was a bad idea.

"Aw, bashful Cloud?" Zack grinned with his hands on his hips, making no move to go for his clothes.

"Just put them on." Grabbing Zack's underwear from the messy pile, Cloud threw them at the teenager, hitting him square in the face.

"Gah!" Zack flailed, snatching the offending item from his face and begrudgingly covering himself with them. "They haven't been washed in four days! Not cool!" He glared at Cloud while pulling the garment up his legs.

"I'm aware that they haven't been washed, believe me."

"Yeah, and I suppose you smell _soooooo_much better." Zack stuck his tongue out at him. "Are you always this grumpy in the mornings?"

"Actually..." Cloud ran a hand through his persistent spikes. "This is me on a good morning."

They left the cabin quickly once dressed, straight for the cargo hold to check on the status of the books. The cargo hold was busy with all sorts of workers - Cid ran an efficient operation, so despite the scant warning and lack of goods on the journey to Midgar, the crew were already busy loading the many supplies they would be taking back to the rocket. Once satisfied that their books were all accounted for, they took care of the unloading themselves, borrowing a handcart from one of the dock workers and rolling it down the ramp to the full circle point of their journey, the airport on Shinra tower.

The city was more intimidating in the early morning than at sunset, the welcoming orange glow instead replaced by the sickly green of mako power, mixing with the dull blue of pre-dawn to create a ghastly demeanour, looking more like a sprawling haunted house than a city. Bright spotlights lit up the concrete platform of the airfield, employees being briefly illuminated by the sharp spots before disappearing into silhouettes again as they scurried back and forth between the building and the airship.

"Where are you gonna keep these?" Zack asked as they pushed the cart along, approaching the elevator that they could only hope would fit their cargo.

"My apartment, I guess," Cloud said, giving the teenager a short shrug. It was certainly an important question, he would need to find some place secure enough to hold them, and neither his apartment nor his office would suit that. He looked up as the elevator ahead came down to their level, the doors opening to reveal a distinctive blue suit.

"Professor, Lieutenant," Tseng greeted as they approached, waiting just outside the elevator for him.

"Why do people keep calling me that?" Cloud asked as he pulled up the cart just before hitting the Turk. "Don't I have to teach classes to be a professor?"

Tseng just shrugged. "The President has certain... questions that he would like answered about your little trip."

Cloud sighed, he had expected this. "I'm sure we'll discuss it when I meet him," _whenever that may be,_"but it is too... sensitive to send as a message. I hope he understands."

"I'm sure he will," Tseng replied politely, apart from the slight narrowing of his eyes. "And this?" he asked, waving a hand at the backpacks full of books.

"Equally sensitive," Cloud said, suspicious that he was somehow insulting Tseng in some way. "I'm not... fully aware of secrecy protocols. But they shouldn't be seen by anyone but the President until he says otherwise."

"The Lieutenant?" Tseng queried.

"I wasn't allowed to see them... sir."

"Very well, then. I will inform the President." Tseng walked past Cloud, heading towards the Highwind.

"Are all Turks that creepy?" Zack asked as they hauled the cart into the elevator.

"Just give it ten years," Cloud said as he swiped his keycard and hit the button for his floor. "They'll turn into bumbling idiots."

Zack gave Cloud a confused look as the elevator rumbled upwards, clearly not getting whatever it was the blond was hinting at. The ride was not a long one, the high pitched ding sounding as the door opened, revealing the corridor down to Cloud's new apartment. Hauling the cart out of the elevator, they dragged it on to the plush carpet and down the corridor.

"Hey," Zack whispered, stopping Cloud with a gentle hand to to his chest, pointing to where a faint glow of light appeared from the crack under the door. "Someone's in there."


	10. You'll come home, won't you?

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 10: You'll come home, won't you?  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,087

"Someone's in there."

Cloud stilled his movements as he heard the whispered words from Zack, stiffening his limbs and dropping into stealth mode. Would he have left the light on when he left? No, it was morning then, he wouldn't have needed the lights. Besides, the light was... odd, not the bright yellow he would have expected from the living room lights but a faint... blue, mostly, but mixed in with hints of all other colours. He stayed very quiet, trying to listen to any sound that could be coming out of the apartment, but unable to hear anything louder than Zack's soft breathing.

He gave a short nod to Zack, who took up position on the other side of the door, drawing his broadsword as Cloud took up the opposite position, readying his keycard next to the sensor.

Cloud waved the keycard over the sensor, being rewarded with a soft beep and click of the lock disengaging, the noise almost deafening in the silence and tension of the room. Carefully, he pressed one hand against the door, slowly opening it inch by inch to be able to peer inside.

Seeing that it was apparently clear, Zack slipped inside the gap the door made, sword at the ready. Cloud followed close behind, swinging the door open as he went and scanning the room.

The source of the light became quickly apparent, the television on the wall switched on, silently bathing the room in an artificial reflection of its image. On the couch, a small body was curled up, surrounded by cushions.

"Denzel," Cloud said to Zack quietly as he relaxed, straightening up and letting his breathing return to normal.

"He's here?" Zack peered over to the couch, slinging his sword over his shoulder. "Damn, nice digs."

Walking softly over to the couch, Cloud crouched down next to the boy. He was still wearing the uniform of a Shinra infantryman. "Can you bring the books in?" Cloud asked Zack before returning his attention to Denzel, gently shaking his shoulder.

"Nghhhh... mmm... Cloud?" Denzel muttered as he slowly woke up, rubbing his eyes blearily. "What's that smell?"

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?" Cloud muttered sternly. "We'll talk about this later," he added once Zack had pushed open the door, dragging the cart full of books inside.

"Denzel, this is Zack."

The boy's eyes widened at Cloud's introduction. He sat up from the couch to take his first look at the legendary hero, who had just finished smelling his armpits and was waving the air under his nose with a disgusted look on his face.

"Hey kid." Zack gave him a short wave. "If it's alright with you, Cloud, I'm going to spend the morning in the shower, and uh... I think you should too."

"Right," Cloud said, turning back to Denzel. "I have a feeling it's gonna be a busy day."

Zack said his brief goodbyes and slipped out of the apartment, the door locking behind him. Deciding that the talk with Denzel could wait until he was clean, Cloud left the boy on the couch and walked to his room, grabbing a random selection of clean clothes - his dress pants and a t-shirt - from his closet and heading for a long overdue shower.

Hooking the clean clothes up on the door, he stopped in front of the sink, his reflection staring back at him from the large mirror. He looked filthy, as expected. Blood spatters from the arterial wounds they had inflicted on wandering monsters streaked neatly through his hair, caked and dried in streaks. Greasy skin oil from not having washed in days combining with soot and caked mud made it seem that the face staring back at him belonged to a homeless man rather than the newest executive of Shinra, Inc.

His clothes were equally filthy and completely ruined, trekking through the mountains and sleeping on rock having taken a harsher toll on his suit than his body. Removing, and in some cases, peeling off his clothes, he threw the entire ruined mess, shoes and all, into the corner. Swinging open the glass door, he stepped into the expansive cubicle, letting out a pleased sigh as the hot water ran down his body, carrying away the last few days and letting them all filter down the drain. The dirt, the blood, dead skin and grime, he scrubbed and scrubbed until the murky brown whirl of water at the base of the shower was nothing but the suds of overused soap and shampoo.

Stepping out of the shower, he grabbed a fresh towel and quickly patted himself down, his skin flushed pink from the vigorous scrubbing it had been subjected to. Dried to his satisfaction, he wrestled his legs into his pants, pulling his t-shirt over his head as he left the bathroom.

Denzel was in the kitchen when he walked in, unpacking the large brown bags that had been piled on to the counter and putting the groceries away in the numerous cupboards. _He always was a good kid_, Cloud thought as he watched the boy. _Despite everything that happened to him._

"They delivered the groceries?" Cloud asked as he stepped up to the bench, taking a peek at the contents of the bags.

"They were here when I got in," Denzel replied, not turning to face the blond, keeping his eyes forward and attention focused on his monotonous task.

Cloud sighed. The boy was nervous, though not unreasonably so. He had likely been waiting in days for Cloud's fatherly judgement, unsure as to how he would react and wallowing in guilt and doubt.

"Leave them here for now," Cloud said, leaving the groceries behind himself and heading for the lounge. "Sit down, we need to talk."

Denzel nodded silently, moping behind Cloud in the way only a teenager could, turning a form of dejection into one of locomotion.

"You look... older," Cloud said as he sat down into the leather covered armchair. "How long have you been here?"

"About a year, or maybe less," Denzel answered, sitting himself on the couch he had occupied previously, shoving aside the collected cushions. "It took a while to get into Shinra."

"Have you told anyone about the future? Your parents?"

Denzel shook his head. "I... tried to find my parents, but they weren't at our old house. Someone else was there. I haven't looked for anyone else."

Cloud nodded, that was one worry he could take out of the mix. "Why did you do it?"

Denzel shuffled forward slightly, his whole body tingling with nervousness. "I saw the files, what the portal could do... my parents, all the people who died... we can bring them back, Cloud!"

Cloud shook his head. "No. We can't. This isn't our world... It may seem like it is, but our world is still going on, back there. Just without you, and now without me."

"Wh... what?" Denzel looked up, his mouth opening slightly at the words.

"When you went in, nothing changed for us - just you disappearing," Cloud sighed, knowing what he was about to say next was going to break the boy's heart. "Tifa, Marlene and the others... they're still living their lives without us."

"Then... why did you come through?" The boy painted a picture of confusion, his mind racing to keep up with the conversation. Cloud didn't often dumb down his words for the benefit of anyone else, preferring to speak plainly and let those who couldn't keep up fall behind.

"I couldn't leave you alone here, understand?" Cloud leaned forward, catching Denzel in his intense gaze and making sure that it was held as he spoke. "I just... have that responsibility. I've lived through this time, it is harsh... it is ruthless and I couldn't let you face it alone."

Denzel broke the gaze, his eyes dropping down and to the side. "Then... we should go back."

"We can't go back, Denzel." Cloud explained, shaking his head sadly. "All we can do is make a life for ourselves here."

"So, we..."

"What did you think would happen?" Cloud snapped, though he regretted the tone as soon as the words left his mouth. "Even if you were able to change everything you wanted, if it had changed everything for me, wouldn't your life still have been ruined?" he continued, softer this time. The concept he had in his mind and the words he were using to convey it just weren't meshing. "We can't change that. We can shape this life how we want it, it doesn't help the people we left behind."

"So what do we do?"

Cloud let out a huff of air, flumping bonelessly back into his chair. "I wish I could protect you from this... I just don't know if I can."

Denzel buried his face in his hands, trying to make himself as small as possible. He spread his fingers slightly, just leaving a small enough gap to see through. "I want to help, Cloud."

"No," Cloud said sternly, shaking his head. "You need to stay as far out of this as you can."

"But I can help! I'm in Shinra now, too."

"And if anyone finds out that you are, they could use you to get to me." It was the one thing he could not bear to live with. Denzel getting hurt... or worse, because someone was trying to get to him was something he and Tifa had discussed ad nauseum - yet the risk he faced now was far greater. "Since you've used my last name, you won't be safe. It won't take long for anyone who cares to link you to me."

"Well... you can teach me to fight."

"What did you think you could do when you came back here?" Cloud asked, his voice rising with each partially rhetorical question. "That you would be able to take on Shinra... that you could kill Sephiroth?"

"I didn't think..." Denzel mumbled in response, his eyes downcast.

"No," Cloud sighed. "You didn't."

Denzel hung his head, the meek action pulling at Cloud's heart. Being a responsible parent was a horrible thing at times. "Are you going to kill Sephiroth?" the boy asked.

Cloud shook his head. "I don't know what killing him would do... everything that happened was after I killed him the first time, when he joined the lifestream."

"But it was Jenova, right? We could get rid of her."

"No. Jenova didn't control him, he controlled Jenova," Cloud explained. It was the first time he had clearly laid out the difficult facts of his adventures during the Meteor crisis to the boy, previously having only relied on the common stories to placate his insatiable curiosity. "You remember I told you about when we rescued Aerith? Jenova's body was held in that lab. Sephiroth took control of it from the lifestream, throwing parts off the body to fight us when we got close."

Denzel nodded along, a small piece of the puzzle falling into place, but not enough to get a clear picture. His adoptive father was always somewhat cagey about the stories of the fight against Sephiroth. Cloud felt guilty over many of the things that had happened, the people who had died - that much was obvious, but there was something more, something that even Yuffie was tight lipped about.

"Shit!" Denzel swore, leaping to his feet as his pocket started buzzing. "It's nearly seven, I have to be at my new barracks!"

He pressed a button on the side of his phone, stopping the annoying noise. Shoving the offending object back into his pocket, he made for the door, only to be stopped by Cloud's hand on his shoulder.

"Huh?" Denzel looked up quizzically at the blond's outstretched hand.

Cloud had his hand out expectantly, palm upturned. "Swear jar."

"Dammit!" Denzel grumbled, rummaging through his pockets for a gil coin, which he petulantly slapped into the waiting hand.

"Go," Cloud instructed, dropping the coin into his own pocket. "I'll get you a keycard when you come back tonight."

Denzel nodded once before he hurried out the door. Closing the door behind the boy, Cloud headed to the kitchen to continue the work of unpacking the groceries.

~o~o~o~o~

_Bzzzzzt._

The buzz came from a telephone discreetly mounted on the wall leading to the front entrance. Putting the cans he was currently holding down on the counter, Cloud walked to the device and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?" he asked into the phone.

_Dr. Strife? This is security, there is a Lieutenant Fair that wants access to your floor._

"Let him in."

_Very well, sir._

Hanging the phone back up, he continued to reorder his new kitchen. Soon, the silence was broken by a firm knock. Opening the door, Cloud was greeted by a grinning Zack, dressed slightly more casually he was, having thrown on jeans and a t-shirt before coming over.

"You look like a new man," joked Zack with a grin, clapping him on the shoulder as he walked in.

"You're smelling better yourself," Cloud muttered, dodging the SOLDIER's wandering hand and heading back to the kitchen.

"Bulk acquisition military shampoo! Because we're worthless," Zack said while following Cloud, perching himself on one of the high stools at the countertop. "Where's the kid?"

"Finding his new barracks," Cloud replied, pulling a frying pan off its hook and setting in down on the stove top. "You want breakfast?" he asked while he fiddled with the dial on the stove, finally managing to ignite the burner.

"Yeah, starving." The SOLDIER was practically salivating as he eyed the food still left on the counter.

Pulling a handful of eggs out of the remaining bag, Cloud cracked their shells against the edge of the frying pan, spilling their insides on to the hot iron where they mixed together, happily sizzling. Leaving the eggs for a moment, he checked the fridge, pulling out the additional ingredients of butter and milk.

Zack grabbed an apple from the newly filled fruit bowl on the counter, happily munching on it while the blond prepared their breakfast. "You cook a lot?" he asked between bites of the apple.

"Eggs in a pan is pushing the limit of my culinary prowess," Cloud admitted while stirring the slowly congealing mixture. "Eight eggs should be enough, right?"

Zack shrugged. "Sounds good to me." Eyeing the rubbish bin on the opposite end of the kitchen, he threw his finished apple with perfect aim, a loud thwang sounding as it bounced off the inside, followed by a thud as it hit the bottom.

Ignoring Zack's happy dance at the successful throw, Cloud dished out the now cooked scrambled eggs on to two large plates. Handing one over to Zack, he dumped the now empty pan into the sink and sat down next to the black haired man to have his own breakfast.

"I get the day off after a mission," Zack said after enough eggs had been shoveled into his mouth to satisfy the gnawing hunger. "I'm going to head down to Wall Market. Wanna come?"

Cloud shook his head, waiting he had completely swallowed his mouthful before replying. "Wall Market? That's... seedy."

"Yeah, but the weapon guy down there is the best. Sure you won't come?"

Cloud nodded. "I'm sure."

"Alright then," Zack said, giving Cloud a small grin. "You're still buying me dinner tonight, right? Fancy restaurant, remember?"

"I remember," Cloud replied, slightly edgy at the amount of leer Zack had managed to put into his voice. "I'll book it at work."

Once Zack had excused himself to catch the early train into Sector 6, Cloud busied himself cleaning up the kitchen, stacking plates in the dishwasher and scrubbing the baked-in egg off the frying pan: he never remembered to grease the pan until it came time to clean up.

Menial domestic tasks, stacking glasses, wiping down tables, had become the new brooding for the blond since the Geostigma crisis. He hadn't been able to get lost in the wilderness like he used to, with Tifa worrying and calling his phone every hour, the cheerful ringtone always interrupting his funk. So every time he had a patient die, every time he would come home with hands covered in the blood of a child, he would spend the rest of the night cleaning, lost in his thoughts as he robotically cleaned the bar. Even in a room full of people, no one would bother him.

Giving the bench a final wipe down, he left the expensive kitchen to don his expensive disguise. Maybe if his mother could see him now, buttoning up a pristine white dress shirt, adjusting his silk tie in front a full length mirror, preparing himself to go to his prestigious job. Well, she'd be less proud and more confused why her boy was suddenly a fully grown man in the most literal terms. Shrugging on the jacket, he grabbed his keys and ID from the kitchen counter and left for another day at work.

For the second time, he walked down the infuriatingly extravagant apartment corridor to the executive elevator that would take him to his office. No interruptions this time, just a minor commute that heralded a creeping normalcy.

As he arrived in his office he immediately sat down at his computer, bringing up all the records he had access to. He'd had a sinking feeling ever since Denzel had announced he had tried unsuccessfully to find his parents. Abel, Denzel's father, worked in Shinra's Third Business Department, eventually becoming the department head just before he was killed: on the day Shinra dropped the Sector 7 plate.

The file was not particularly hard to find, he had at least basic access to all the profiles of Shinra personnel, in the case of Abel, a not particularly high ranking employee at the moment, he had full medical access. The sinking feeling reached fruition as he read down the page.

Denzel's father had been admitted to hospital following concerns raised in grief counselling. Grief counselling that was provided after the sudden death of his eight month pregnant wife, following complications of a miscarriage just less than a year ago. Shinra's records declared that Abel died of a heart attack. Cloud did not trust Shinra's records.

Could he tell Denzel this? Should he keep it from him?

Knowingly or not, Denzel had killed his parents. He had wanted to bring his parents back, and in doing so, had killed them.


	11. Executives

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 11: Executives  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,254

Cloud groaned, leaning back in his expensive leather chair and covering his eyes with his hands. What could he tell Denzel, that the boy was responsible for killing his parents? How would he react, first the admonishment he had been given this morning, that his actions had ripped their small family apart. Now, this.

The blond sighed, letting his hands fall down to the armrests. There was no way he could tell Denzel now, not for... he didn't know how long. He could easily lose the boy if he was not careful, and he didn't have a good history of nuanced emotional conversations, unless you counted "..." as nuanced.

At least there was once clear option available to him: procrastinate. It had been nearly a year without Denzel finding out, so he could wait a bit longer, right? Yes, Cloud decided, it could wait. He closed the terminal down and brought up his work for the day. Emotionally shutting out tragedy and getting on with what needed to be done was becoming a hobby of his.

He grabbed the stack of papers overflowing from his inbox, shuffling through the piles to see if there was anything interesting at first glance. Most of it was standard forms to sign off, a menial task that he would send down to whoever would be acting as his secretary to check through. There were a few folders containing research proposals that he shifted off to one side, something he would definitely have to check through later.

Sending a quick e-mail off to the President's secretary about the demanded meeting with the man, he checked his own messages, mostly endless reminders about forms he had yet to sign and various conniving employees looking to test the limits of their new boss. Cloud sighed. Office politics, it was hard to enjoy working in a place where punching someone wasn't considered a legitimate way of dealing with idiots. _Although, technically..._ Cloud scratched his chin. Maybe that could be Plan B.

Ah, here was something interesting.

To: Strife, Cloud  
Subject: Your new secretary

Opening up the e-mail, he couldn't help but snicker. Since Reno would be too obvious, Shinra had decided to assign Elena as his new secretary - obviously, no one would know that she was a Turk in training. No one that didn't know the future, that was. Cloud closed his eyes, trying to think back to what he knew about Elena during this time. She had only become a Turk after Cloud had given Reno such a beat down at the Sector 7 plate that they needed to find a replacement. That fight was the reason that Reno still walked with a slight limp every so often... well, one of two reasons.

At this time, Elena would be in Shinra's Military Academy, likely on the fast track to becoming a Turk like her sister. Of course she would jump at an opportunity to spy on him for the Turks and secure her place in their organisation. He smiled as he picked up the phone, dialling the number that was helpfully included in the e-mail.

"Elena? This is Cloud Strife," he greeted once the phone had been picked up on the other end. "I got your e-mail about becoming my secretary."

_Oh, yes! Hello Professor!_ The voice of the young woman bubbled from the line. _Are you in your office? I was just setting up my desk. You're in your office, right? I'll be over in a minute!_

Cloud pulled the receiver away from his ear, blinking at the endless stream of words followed by a sharp click and dialtone. Elena had not yet lost her overly excitable and talkative manner just yet, leading Cloud to wonder if her penchant for letting secrets slip would likewise be intact. It was highly unlikely that the Turks would have told her any useful or relevant information, however being able to feed back whatever misinformation he pleased would be enormously helpful.

It did not take long for the knock on the door to arrive, followed by a neatly cropped head of hair poking itself around the doorway, framing the face of an unexpectedly young Elena. He raised an eyebrow as Elena stepped into the office, throwing him a nervous but well practiced salute.

"Sir!" she mumbled, dropping back into an at-ease position, despite not having been given permission. Cloud just stared back, his face blank enough to make Sephiroth proud as he assessed her. Obviously she was still used to a military setting, being somewhat confused with the protocols of dealing with a superior who was a civilian.

"I'm uh... Elena, sir," she introduced once a few moments had passed without being acknowledged. "Your new secretary."

"You're a little young," Cloud said plainly, still not ceasing his appraising gaze. He wondered not for the first time what sort of culture Shinra had, taking young people, barely more than children, and not just training them in the military but sending them on assignments as well.

"Yes, sir... p-professor," Elena stammered nervously, shifting her weight slightly in her semi-military posture. "I'm here to help with administrative tasks. Professor Rayleigh will be your assistant when she returns."

Cloud sighed, breaking eye contact and shifting forward in his chair. The poor girl was nervous enough, he didn't need to add to it. "Very well, then," he said in what he hoped was an authoritative manner of speaking.

"Is there anything I can help you with now, sir?" she asked.

Pulling the pile of papers he had thrown haphazardly on his desk, Cloud quickly shuffled them into a neat stack and offered them out to Elena. "Take these," he said, Elena shuffling forward and taking the proffered pile from him, clutching them nervously to her chest. "Sort through them. Anything I need to look at myself, write a summary or something and stick it to the page before you send it back. If it's just budget, forward it to accounting, if it's asking for equipment just tell me if I need to rubberstamp it or not." Cloud scratched the back of his head, trying to go over the mental list he had of things he'd rather not deal with. "If it's anything to do with SOLDIER, send it straight to me. That's it, I guess."

"Yes, sir!" She nodded after fumbling slightly on deciding whether to salute with an armful of papers or not. "Oh, sir! There is an executive meeting this morning at ten, the President wanted to see you before it started, sir."

"Alright." Cloud took a quick glance at the time on his computer, it had just passed nine. "Call him back and tell him I'm on my way up."

"Yes, sir!" Elena turned on her heel and scurried out of the room, leaving Cloud to scratch his head at her antics. It was going to be interesting trying to work with her, maybe now he would be able to understand what Rude and Reno felt.

He left this office with a quick note to get a deadbolt installed on his door as quickly as possible. The electronic locks that Shinra had installed throughout the building were good, they were easy to use and hard to force open. However, any time that Shinra wanted his office searched, it could be... while he wouldn't keep anything incriminating in there, he wasn't going to make it easy on them.

He spotted the desk being set up just outside his office, Elena scurrying around with her phone pressed to one ear, trying to direct the maintenance workers with just her other hand. That answered the question of where she was going to be working, at least. Secretaries, desks and offices, it was all so delightfully mundane, like a lion having to fill out a health and safety risk assessment before it took down a gazelle.

Hoping that Elena had called ahead as soon as she left the office, Cloud stepped into the elevator and let it take him up to the president's office, a short trip given that his own was only a few short levels below. He practically ignored the secretaries as he reached their floor, walking past them with barely an acknowledgement - surely if he wasn't supposed to be there, they'd stop him.

"Professor, take a seat," the president said as soon as he reached the top of the stairs. Taking a brief look around him, he could only see Tseng in the room, standing silent and vigilant near the entrance. Nodding slightly, he pulled a chair up to the president's enormous desk and sat down.

"Let's be clear, professor. You have me hostage, like Hojo did," Shinra started, standing from his own overly pompous chair, pacing back and forth in the small cubicle his desk made as he gave his speech. "Without someone who can make new SOLDIERs, we lose our biggest military advantage. You clearly know this. However, there are limits. I still have the resources to restart the SOLDIER program from the beginning if you become a liability. Am I clear?"

Cloud shrugged. Honestly, he had tuned out most of it. Both president and son had a tendency to make everything in a long drawn out speech. He'd made a game of interrupting Rufus as much as possible, just to see how long it would take for him to stop. He never did. "Not particularly. I take it this is about my trip to Nibelheim?"

"It is a warning for the future." Shinra pulled a cigar from his jacket pocket, expertly clipping the end off and lighting it in one smooth motion. "So, tell me, why the sudden trip to Nibelheim?"

"It was about the Jenova project." Cloud glanced over at the Turk standing silently at the entrance. "It would be best to talk about it privately."

Shinra took the cigar from his mouth, letting out a long stream of smoke that caused Cloud to cough irritably. "Tseng has been looking over the... charges you brought up against Hojo. He can hear this too."

"Fine. I went to Nibelheim to get some of the... materials that Hojo left behind."

"You decided not to inform me of this?" Shinra glared back, wedging the fat cigar back into the side of his mouth.

"I could not risk anyone getting there first," Cloud replied. "Even that didn't work. Jenova was gone when I got there."

"Is that all it was for?" Shinra chuckled with an amused horse laugh, standing from his desk once more to pace around. "We haven't needed Jenova in years."

"Perhaps you should be more concerned." Cloud rubbed his temples. Just when you became wary of the man, thinking he was sharper than he looked, he would say something profoundly idiotic. "If someone has Jenova, they could create their own SOLDIER program. In months, not years."

"If someone tried," Shinra said with a complete lack of concern, "we would know who took her. They would be crushed in a day."

"Everything I went to Nibelheim for. Jenova. The research in the mansion library. Everything that you and Hojo left lying around," Cloud said, growing more annoyed as the president dismissed each problem he listed like it were a joke. "They are all the ingredients anyone needs to make their own SOLDIERS, to make their own Sephiroth."

"I can see this concerns you, professor. Please, tell me what you found there."

"There wasn't much. Nothing in the reactor was forced open as far as I can see. Whoever took it likely had Shinra access codes - which leaves a lot of people, they weren't high level." He had his suspicions, not that he was ready to share them.

Plucking the cigar from his mouth, Shinra lay it carefully down in his ashtray, leaving it to smoulder. "You said there was research there as well? Is that what Tseng saw you carry up?"

"At the mansion where Hojo had his lab. I took the books that would be useful and burned the rest. If that information fell into the wrong hands..." He left off the part where Shinra would be included in his description of "wrong hands".

"I see." The president looked over Cloud's shoulder to Tseng, who just nodded his head.

"All of this, lying around where even the townspeople could wander in." Another verbal poke in the ribs.

Shinra sighed, folding his arms on the desk and leaning towards Cloud. "What do you suggest I do, then?"

Cloud thought on this for a moment, trying to decide on an actual suggestion. He knew what he needed to do, what he wanted to do and what would be best for Shinra. Somehow, there was a way to balance those, even if for only the short term. "Find all of the research projects and labs that the science department has hidden," he replied finally. "Not just Hojo's. Destroy them and bring the research back here."

"There is a lot of money invested in those projects. Is this about your... ethical concerns with the science department?" _Damn if the greasy man couldn't make 'ethical' seem like a dirty word._

"Even you have to see it," Cloud glared, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "If people find out about those projects, or if it falls into the hands of your rivals..."

"Rivals? There are no rivals to Shinra left. And the people…" Shinra laughed. "The people will object to what I tell them to object to. They will approve of what I tell them they approve of. Concern yourself with the running of your department, professor, and I will concern myself with the running of my company. We will be having a board meeting in a ten minutes on floor sixty six, I expect you to be there."

Taking that as a dismissal, Cloud nodded to his boss and rose from his chair, walking to the door without another word.

"Professor," the president called just as he was about to reach the stairs. Cloud turned, raising a querying eyebrow at him.

"I know you have your own agenda, and I don't particularly care. Just don't cross me, and we'll do fine."

Cloud gave him a short nod and left the room.

Not wanting to be interrupted by anyone before the meeting, Cloud took the elevator directly to the meeting room, stopping to grab an energy bar from one of the vending machines in the hall. Shouldering the door open while he unwrapped the bar, he grabbed a seat at the long wooden table and munched happily away while waiting for the other executives to arrive.

A sudden unpleasant smell reminded him that not only was security terrible in this building, but the general design was as well. The air duct that served the board room lead directly to the toilets, a fact that had allowed him to eavesdrop on the executive meeting on his mission to rescue Aerith, but now only served to put him off his food. He carefully placed the bar back in the wrapper, shoving it into his pocket just as the doors to the room opened. Scarlet, barely covered by a silky low cut dress and ludicrously high heels, was flanked by the enormous bearded Heidegger, his military uniform lined with medals he had awarded himself.

Scarlet sauntered towards Cloud, a venomous mockery of a smile frozen into her face. "Well, you must be the new Hojo," she said, her sickly sweet voice grating on Cloud's ears as her eyes slowly roamed the full length of his body. "What a pity. Looks like I will no longer be the only one using feminine wiles in the boardroom."

Cloud narrowed his eyes at the mockery, his gaze darting in between the repulsive woman and the thick glass window at the end of the room. _All it would take is one good throw..._

"I heard rumours that you used... favours to get your position," he replied instead, twisting his own face into a cruel grin. "But to hear it from the mouth that performed them is something else."

"You sexist bastard!" Scarlet growled, her hand winding back in long practiced fashion to slap the blond, only to be stopped by a strong hand folding over her wrist.

"Scarlet," Heidegger interrupted, forcing her hand back to her side, "Let's not make enemies we don't have to."

He managed to avoid throwing any of the executives to their timely doom as the final suits entered: Palmer, the incompetent buffoon that was heading the space program. Reeve, head of Urban Development and Lazard, administrative director of SOLDIER. Once they were all finally seated at the table, President Shinra arrived to take his seat at the head of the board, flanked on one side by a stoic Tseng.

"I am sure that by now you have all heard the news that SOLDIER First Class Genesis Rhapsodos has gone missing while leading our ground forces in Wutai. I have recently had word from the front that many SOLDIER Second and Third classes have also failed to report in, everywhere from Junon to Midgar, but mostly in Wutai. This is no coincidence, we are dealing with a mass desertion."

"How many soldiers are we talking about?" Scarlet asked.

"My current estimate is a little over a hundred," Lazard said, his fingers coming together to form a peak as he leaned forward on the desk.

"A _hundred_ soldiers?" Scarlet blurted out incredulously. "There are a _hundred_mako-enhanced super soldiers that have turned against the company? What have you morons being doing?"

"There was no way we could have seen it coming!" Heidegger protested loudly.

"We believe Hollander may have been involved," Tseng added, breaking his long silence. "We found many documents missing from the science department archives. It is unlikely to be a coincidence that these events coincide."

"Professor Strife has made his concerns on... information security known," Shinra said, all eyes turning to him as he spoke. "For now, I want every department to tighten security. Professor, you are to work with the Turks to close down any external research sites. Scarlet, Reeve, you are to work on our electronic security."

Cloud eyed the President warily. From the way he had reacted at their little meeting, it didn't seem like the President had taken any of what he had said seriously. Still, he could not afford to be looking a gift horse in the mouth just at the moment. Closing down the research sites would be an incredible opportunity to purge some of the most vile aspects of Shinra's empire.

"And about Wutai?" Heidegger asked. "With Genesis gone, our forces no longer have a commander."

"We will send Sephiroth to take command," the president replied.

"Commander Angeal will also be be sent," Lazard added, "we are evaluating his student for a possible promotion to First Class."

"His student is Zack Fair?" Cloud asked.

"That is correct. He was the one that accompanied you," Lazard confirmed.

"Well, I can evaluate right now that without him I'd be dead, so I think he'd make a good First Class." Luckily for Zack, Cloud was not above using his influence to help out his friends.

"I will take that under consideration," Lazard said, his voice dripping with polite diplomacy. "But we require a thorough evaluation before promoting a SOLDIER to First Class."

"If that is all," President Shinra interrupted. "Then this meeting is finished. If you want to talk about a specific soldier, take it to your office."


	12. Conflict

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 12: Conflict  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,807

Cloud stripped himself of his clothes as soon as he set foot inside his apartment, leaving them behind in an expensive trail of cloth leading to his bedroom. Kicking the polished shoes inside the wardrobe, he grabbed a combination of the most casual jeans and t-shirt he could find, pairing with a rough yet comfortable pair of workman's boots. It wasn't that he hated complicated and fancy clothes, far from it: some of the uniforms and outfits he wore were as complicated and fancy as you could get without seriously hindering combat capabilities. Some of them even had _more than one belt_. It was just that the tailored suit was so uptight, he could feel the _stiffness_of the look seeping into his spine and turning him into a rigid bureaucrat.

Finally free of the restriction of high rise fashion, he picked up the suit pieces one by one from the floor and threw them into the laundry hamper. Perhaps he could just wear normal clothes for his day to day work and just suit up for any important meetings. He'd prefer a SOLDIER uniform, but that may raise eyebrows higher than he'd already managed to raise them so far.

Making sure to grab his wallet from the discarded suit, Cloud left his apartment once again. He had left work soon after the executive meeting had finished, telling Elena that he would be seeking out military teams to help him close down the research sites. In truth he had wanted to check up on Denzel, unable to suppress the mothering or rather, fathering instinct that had him worried about his son on his first day at his new... barracks. Ok, so they weren't exactly a normal family, but he still felt the same drives as any parent.

As he had promised, he picked up a spare keycard from the front desk, signing Denzel's name to be permanently allowed access to his apartment. It was a risk to so blatantly link Denzel to him, but it was already too late to keep it a secret. Thanking the secretary for both the card and the printout he was given of Denzel's schedule, he left the lobby and headed for the army barracks.

~o~o~o~o~

While Shinra Headquarters was a thin tower on the level he worked, and most of the levels above the fortieth floor, at the base the structure was a single huge, sprawling building that encompassed most of Sector 0. Each wing of the complex covered one of the major departments, with the training areas and barracks of the security forces occupying the largest wing, followed by the manufacturing sectors of the weapons development department - Heidegger and Scarlet's territory, respectively. There were several areas in this part of the building under his purview that he had not yet looked at, several of the larger and less secretive research labs, many of the medical bays that mostly serviced the soldiers and the building's own hospital, the largest hospital in the world that denied access to the general public.

Fortunately the army located their barracks close to the central tower of the Shinra building, either for convenience to the army staff or for added security in case the tower were attacked, in an uncharacteristic display of competence and planning by Shinra staff. Although seemingly to make up for this unusual allowance of reason was a characteristic display of cheapness and cost cutting, each corridor seemed like it had been copied and pasted from the previous, endless doors and rooms of same construction that Cloud was only able to navigate by posted numbers and signs until he finally reached the correct barracks.

As he approached the door, his sensitive ears started picking up the sounds of a fight, muffled yelling and the unmistakable sound of punches being thrown. Shoving the schedule back into his pocket, he grabbed the handle and twisted, throwing the door open and storming into the room.

The whole group of cadets, a dozen of them all under the age of fifteen, were surrounding the figure of Denzel who was being held in place by his fellow cadets, each outstretched arm being held in place by a different boy. From Cloud's view of at the door he could already see Denzel had taken quite a beating, trickles of blood flowing from his nose and mouth, one eye beginning to swell and bruise.

"What the hell is going on?" Cloud practically growled out the words as all the eyes in the room turned to him, Denzel's hopeful eyes widening and his tormentors glowering eyes narrowing. He could see now from the faces of the three boys who were hitting Denzel that he had obviously fought back, half the room seemed to be sporting either bloody noses or split lips.

Cloud flipped out his cell phone, trying to send off a quick text to Zack while keeping eye contact with the boys who were slowly backing down, Denzel shaking loose the arms that were holding him in place. _Denzel was in a fight. Need help. Barracks 14H. _He may not have the military authority to deal with this situation, but a SOLDIER Second Class certainly would.

"Who are you?" One of the boys asked in a tone bordering on impertinence, though he cowed quickly back once Cloud concentrated the full force of his glare on the youth. Denzel opened his mouth to answer the question for him, but was silenced with another quick look. Inwardly cursing as he remembered that Zack had gone to Wall Market for the day, Cloud resigned himself to dealing with the problem on his own. Hazing, or more accurately, military bullying was something he had plenty of experience with, enough to know that it was unlikely that he, as both an outsider and an adult, could do anything to stop it.

"I asked a question," Cloud said, his glare travelling down the line of cadets until he had eyed them into submission. He sighed, many of them were in bad shape, holding their noses to stem the flow of blood or trying to wipe their cuts, creating horrible red smears along their cheeks or uniforms. Denzel was looking in particularly bad shape, and one of the boys was holding his side in a way that screamed at all of Cloud's instincts as a medic.

"Alright, you," he pointed at one of the cadets that seemed to be uninjured, "get the first aid kit, and you," he pointed at another uninjured cadet, "go to the toilets and find some tissues or toilet roll."

_Beep beep._

Cloud flipped open his phone irritably, annoyed that it had interrupted his orders. He quickly checked the screen, to find a reply for his previous text. _Was on my way back. Will see what I can do._

"I'll fix up anyone who is bleeding, then you're all going to the infirmary," he continued, finding that in the time he had checked his phone the cadet had already found the first aid kit. He took the box from the boy with a nod. "Anyone who decides to slip away might as well pack their bags when they do, because I will have them fired. Am I clear?"

There were half nods and murmured words of assent all round, so Cloud got to work on treating the boys.

"Don't hold your head back," he said, gently pushing a boy's head forward and guiding his hand up to his nose. "If your nose is bleeding, just pinch it. You don't want blood going down your throat."

He reached Denzel next, noting the wince of pain every time he tried to pinch close his nose. "It looks like it's broken," Cloud said after a short sigh. Picking up a roll of toilet paper from the returning cadet, he unwound a few sheets to make a scrunched up ball of paper, handing it to Denzel to stem the flow of blood. Gently wiping away the trail of blood from his chin, he tore out more wads of paper to hand to cadets with likewise bleeding noses.

From the wide eyed looks of horror quickly dawning on the faces of the cadets, Cloud could tell that someone had entered the room, even before he could see the brief flash of black hair and SOLDIER uniform standing in the doorway from the corner of his eye. "That was qui-" he started, only for his face to fall in a similar look of shocked surprise as he saw that it was not Zack standing in the doorway as he expected, but Angeal.

"Commander Hewley," he said stiffly, frowning at the barely restrained glee appearing on the cadets faces as they saw his discomfort at the new arrival. It was like the little jerks could smell weakness.

"Zack told me there was a fight," Angeal said, walking into the room to the sight of cadets trying to stand rigidly to military attention while holding large wads of tissue paper to their noses. "What happened?"

"They wouldn't tell me," Cloud replied, setting the first aid box down on one of the bunks. It would not be needed immediately, it would be better to fix them up at the infirmary. "I'm sending them to the infirmary, it can wait until after they've stopped bleeding."

"You heard him," Angeal said quietly to the cadets. The man had a presence that meant he did not need to bark or yell, the cadets immediately following his orders and leaving the room in a quick and orderly line.

Cloud stayed behind until the last of the cadets had left the room, sparing a quick glance at the quiet SOLDIER before moving to leave the room himself.

"Hold on," Angeal stopped him with an extended arm, hand pressed against his chest. "Zack said it was your son in a fight. What happened?"

_Of course, Zack would trust anyone. Including, or especially, Angeal; even though Angeal was the last person that Zack should trust._"When I arrived, they were holding him down and beating him," Cloud replied. "That's all I saw."

Angeal nodded, dropping his hand and letting the blond go past, following him out into the hallway and after the line of cadets. They had all filed meekly down the hallway, tissue paper held to noses and a few pained shufflings from some, clutching their sides as they walked.

Thankfully for them the infirmary was not far, a converted training room that served as sort of a outpost, serving the soldiers in the barracks and training rooms that did not need the specialised services of the hospital. The waiting room was mostly empty, the few soldiers seated there stopping to stare at the procession of bloody and bruised cadets meekly taking their seats, followed quietly by a civilian and one of the highest ranking SOLDIERs in Shinra.

"Oh! You must be Doctor Strife... or was it Professor?" One of the doctors on duty walked up to him, white coat swaying as he walked. "Oh, an e-mail was sent around when you became department head. I recognised you from the picture," he added sheepishly to Cloud's confused stare, "it's... uh, the hair."

"Right." Cloud just shrugged, he had developed a fairly thick skin to comments about his hair, at least this one had not been malicious. He turned from the doctor, waving his arm to indicate the seated cadets. "They mostly just have cuts and scrapes. A few broken noses, and these two," he indicated Denzel and another boy who had been holding his side, "may have broken ribs."

The doctor nodded along to each explanation of injury. "Serah, can you call some of the nurses in?" he called to the receptionist, before turning back to Cloud. "I'll have the nurses patch up the cuts, I'll check the breaks myself."

"I have some time, I'll help," Cloud said, much to the puzzlement of the doctor. Motioning to Denzel to follow him, he spared a quick glance at the corner of the room where Angeal was quietly questioning one of the cadets. Checking the doors for a spare exam room he eventually found one, leading the boy inside and instructing him to sit on the examination bed.

"Tell me what happened," Cloud said as he set about examining Denzel. His face was covered in smeared blood, wiped away before it was in danger of dripping everywhere but making his cuts and injuries harder to find. The only other injury visible was minor swelling around the nose, a fact that would rapidly change in the next few hours.

"Id wab jubt." Denzel winced, cutting his attempt at an explanation short as Cloud's fingers brushed against his swelling nose.

"Shh. It's alright," Cloud soothed, picking up some alcohol wipes from the nearby trolley. "You're having trouble breathing?"

Denzel responded with a nod.

"Alright, don't try to talk. Just breathe through your mouth." Ripping the wipes from the packet, he ran them over the bloody skin, Denzel wincing whenever the stinging disinfectant seeped into a cut. "I'll need to set your nose right before it heals."

Rooting through the drawers until he found the tools he needed, he dumped them into the tray on the trolley and wheeled it over next to the bed. Gently moving Denzel until he was lying down with his head back, he took the blood soaked tissue paper from the boy's nose, noting with satisfaction that the bleeding had stopped.

Gently pressing his thumbs on either side of the nose, despite Denzel's wincing and hissed breath, he could not feel that either the bone or cartilage were significantly out of alignment, though it was most likely broken or fractured. Taking a roll of gauze he carefully padded out each nostril, strapping the nose into place once he was satisfied it was the right shape.

"You'll have to get your ribs x-rayed," Cloud said to the boy, cleaning more of the dried blood off his face with another alcohol wipe.

"So, tell me how the fight started," he asked as he gently cleaned away the blood.

"... about my transfer..." was all Cloud was able to pick out from the combination of teenage muttering and a nose stuffed full of gauze.

"They thought you were getting special privileges? That you'd done something to get there?" _That was certainly an accusation he'd had._

"... kept on... saying things..."

"So you hit one of them?" The wide eyed look on Denzel's face was all the confirmation he needed. A normal beating, well... as normal as you could call it, would not have gone that far. Mostly they were done to establish the weird pecking order of maladjusted military teens, or to punish some perceived but usually insignificant slight. But even the densest of knuckle dragging bullies at least knew by instinct that visible marks or hospitalising fellow troops would bring down a shitstorm of scrutiny on their commanding officer, which would invariably come down the chain to them.

However, Denzel had thrown the first punch, a serious offense even in the face of provocation. But that was not the worrying part: despite his eagerness to emulate his adoptive father, Denzel had never been a violent boy and for him to hit someone over just words, that was bringing up worries he had been holding since Sephiroth's second revival. Rummaging through the drawers at the back of the room, Cloud pulled out an ophthalmoscope and sat back down next to Denzel. "I'm going to use this to look into your eyes, ok? There's something I need to check."

Placing fingers above and below the boys eye, he pulled the eyelids back, placing the instrument up to his own eye to hunt for the telltale glow. "I thought so. I was afraid of this." He slipped his hand into Denzel's, as much for his own comfort as for his sons. "You've had Jenova cells from your Geostigma, and now mako from the reactor. What does that make?"

Denzel kicked back from the bed with his legs, shrinking as far away from Cloud as the firm grip would allow, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at their interlocking hands. Cloud could feel the faintest hints of that... _connection_, and in that moment he knew Denzel could feel it too. It would make anyone panic, that sudden feeling of having another mind brush against your own. He had tried to describe it to Tifa years ago, while trying to sort through the mental violations he had suffered. The best he could come up with was that it hit you suddenly, sweeping the world out from under your feet because it changed your very identity, your mind was no longer exclusively your own.

"The cells, they can make you angry. They'll make you do things you wouldn't normally do," Cloud said, pulling Denzel into a careful hug, making sure he didn't press against the boy's ribs. " But it's alright, I've been there before... so have you. Just be careful, alright? You're stronger than you think, you have to be careful that you don't..." _kill_ "... badly hurt anyone."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door, Cloud managing to disentangle himself from Denzel just as the door opened to reveal Angeal standing in the hall.

"This is your son?" he asked once he had closed the door behind him, Cloud answering with a nod.

"Here." Fishing the keycard out of his pocket, Cloud handed it to Denzel. "Wait out with the others."

Once Denzel had left the room and the door had closed behind him, Cloud turned back to the bed, cleaning up the bloodied gauze and tissue paper that had been left behind. His only recollection of Angeal was the large man punching his fourteen year old self to the ground shortly before breaking Zack's heart by not taking his own life, but cowardly forcing his student to kill him. Considering that, he really had no desire to be amiable with the commander.

"I'm not sure I like how much you have been interfering with my soldiers." _That was an incredibly hedged and wishy-washy statement._

Cloud turned, regarding the other man with a look of false curiosity. He knew exactly Angeal meant, he just needed to draw it out. "Interfering?"

"You had no business coming down into their barracks."

"As I understand it, the infantry are not under your command," Cloud replied, barely able to stop his voice from dripping with contempt. "However, all SOLDIERs from First Class to potential recruits _are_my business."

Angeal's expression hardened. There was no denying what the blond said was true, but there was no way the SOLDIER would back down. "And you just happened to visit the barracks that housed your son."

"My son is _my damn business,_" Cloud growled, his eyes narrowing as he inched closer. Something was telling him that he was being foolish in trying to physically intimidate a man over half a foot taller than he was, but he had stopped listening to that something as soon as Angeal entered the room. "Leave him out of it."

"You didn't leave my student out of it," Angeal snapped back.

"You're mad at me because your student was assigned to protect me, is _that_what this is about?"

Angeal's eyes narrowed, his body leaning forward to tower over the blond. "No-"

"It sounds like it!" Cloud interrupted, earning himself a low growl from Angeal. He had never been on the bad side of the burly man before, but he could easily see that the reputation he had for being calm and reasonable did not extend to those he considered enemies. "If you can't get over the fact that your student gets sent on missions then maybe-" _Maybe that was pushing it too far,_Cloud thought briefly as the SOLDIER snapped, time seeming to slow down as Angeal's hand, clenched tightly in a fist, sailed towards his face.

Cloud held his hand up to block the blow, concentric circles of energy radiating out from his palm as the Big Guard took effect, Angeal's fist slamming into the powerful energy barrier. There was a look of shock evident on the large SOLDIER's face, either from the realisation that he had been so easily provoked into assaulting the blond, or that his fist had been blocked by a spell he had never seen before, was hard to tell. Not that Cloud was paying much attention to his expression, using the advantage of surprise and the haste his protective spell had given him, he ducked under the offending arm and twisted his body behind his opponent. Angeal turned around, slightly off-balance and unable to keep up with the magically enhanced speed of the blond, only to find the blond's fist slamming into his chest, releasing a spell as it touched.

Tendrils of light enveloped the dark haired commander, filling into a brightly covered shell that surrounded every part of his body. The light flashed briefly and just as soon disappeared, leaving behind nothing but faintly glowing particles of light where the SOLDIER had once stood, they too flickering and dying as they fell to the floor.

Cloud opened the door and quickly left the room. Wherever Angeal ended up, he was not going to be happy and Cloud would prefer not to have another confrontation with the man. The Exit materia only really worked for getting you out of a fight you would rather not be in, or for removing someone else from a fight. Where you would end up, however, was entirely up to chance.

"Can I get two gurneys?" he asked once he had walked up to the receptionist. "I need two of the boys transferred to hospital, and they shouldn't walk."

Cloud looked back along the waiting room, to where Denzel was holding on to his side as he sat down. The other boy who he suspected also had injured ribs was nowhere to be seen, most likely still with the other doctor. With any luck, he would be able to get out of there before Angeal came back, especially since he knew he wasn't entirely innocent in the whole thing. Yet something was even more troubling about Angeal trying to hit him. He'd never really considered how he felt about the man - by the time he could be angry about what he had done, Angeal had been killed by Zack's hand. From all of Zack's stories about his mentor, it was uncharacteristic of the man to just lash out in anger like that.

Something else was going on with the man - this close to his defection, it could not be a coincidence. If only he had something more useful than a hunch - he would need to keep a close eye on Commander Hewley.


	13. A Changing Situation

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 13: A Changing Situation  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,636

Cloud sat behind the desk he had borrowed, one of the general offices in the hospital that doctors swapped in between while they were on call. He stared at the screen, or rather what was on it: the collection of x-rays that moments before had been taken from the suspected locations of breaks on the boys' bodies. It was somewhat of a novelty to someone who would only grudgingly admit to the honourific of 'rural doctor' and on particularly low moments of self esteem, 'glorified paramedic'. Even on the rare occasions he could access a medical clinic, the machines were old and out of date, the newer machines having to be replaced with older and simpler models just because there was no infrastructure in their rebuilding society to support high tech equipment.

_Bzzzzzzzzzzt._

The buzzing phone caught his attention as the inappropriately named silent mode rattled the case noisily against the desk. Picking up the phone, he flipped open the clamshell and put it to his ear.

"Hello?"

He smiled when the voice of Zack came through from the other end, hurriedly apologising that he wasn't able to get back from the slums, quietly slipping in that there had been an accident before asking if Denzel was alright and if Angeal had made it on time.

Informing Zack that Denzel was being taken care of and Angeal had made it, though he tried not to make his feelings about that fact come through in his voice, Cloud then pressed the audibly squirming Zack on the nature of the accident. It took some firm pressing and perhaps some minor threats, but eventually he came through with the story.

After receiving Cloud's message, he had immediately boarded a train back to the upper plate - the wrong one. Finding himself in a run down area of the slums with no outbound trains to take him back, he ended up wandering through the worst parts of Midgar, every person he asked for directions brushing him off or responding with outright hostility. He eventually came across a playground, where at the top of a moogle slide he found, in his words, the most beautiful girl imaginable.

"I think I see where this is going, Zack." Cloud just grinned on the other end of the phone, trying to hold back an outright laugh. He could guess who the girl was, there must be some sort of cosmic force at work trying to bring them together.

_I'll head back once I walk Aerith home, OK? Sorry I'll be late, can you call the restaurant or something?_

"Aerith is her name, then?" Cloud smiled, of course it was. "I think I should stay with Denzel, anyway. Why don't you take this Aerith to the dinner? You can use my tab."

_Really? Cloud, you're the best!_

Holding his phone away from his ear to avoid damage from the excited yells, he calmed Zack down long enough to give him the details of the restaurant and how they should get there.

Hanging up the phone, Cloud turned back to the x-rays. In a way he had hoped that Denzel had broken or fractured ribs, solely for the fact that it would take at least three months before he was able to be back in training, let alone deployed to the field. It would even be possible that Shinra just decided to discharge him from the army, which would suit his purposes even better; perhaps after a lengthy explanation he could convince his mother to leave Nibelheim and take care of Denzel, she would be overjoyed to have a grandson and it would put them both out of danger.

Unfortunately, while he had a single cracked rib compared to the two broken ribs the other boy had sustained, it was already clear from the x-ray that the rib was starting to heal, less than two hours from when he had sustained it. The rib would be fully healed within three days, not three months. That would surely catch the unwelcome attention of Shinra if he didn't manage to run some sort of interference.

Cloud closed down the program with a heavy sigh, self conscious of the fact that sighing in defeat was something he had been doing a lot of lately. But, as they say, what's done is done; and there's no use arguing with _them_, is it? At least Denzel's condition wasn't something that the poor kid could entirely blame on himself, the Jenova cells and mako running through his body would not be in the same equilibrium as a SOLDIER, and if the Jenova cells weren't adequately held in check by mako, the baser aspects of the alien intelligence would start to gain control.

Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out his phone and quickly scheduled in a reminder: the new injection he had put in place of injecting the current SOLDIERs with only natural, unrefined mako was a response to the Jenova imbalance, a treatment he would need to start Denzel on immediately. Hojo preferred to keep his experiments teetering on the edge of control, with regular shots of Jenova cells to keep them riding that thin line under the pretense of maintaining their abilities. Cloud's ability to not only maintain, but also grow in power without regular checkups shattered the flimsy lie and he had no intention of perpetuating it to anyone.

The signs of Denzel's condition would gradually become more apparent as the treatments progressed, just another thing he was going to have to deal with. What would Tifa say about piling burdens on his shoulders? Something about him dragging along guilt over Aerith long enough that he'd worn out his guilt quota, probably.

_How long are you going to keep dragging it along with you?_

He smiled at the memory, almost imagining he could hear that soothing voice again. He hated to admit it, but it was a comfort he had grown to be fond of, even if he still couldn't let himself rely on it.

Grabbing Denzel's chart from the desk and cleaning up the papers, Cloud pushed aside his thoughts of the future-past and the people left behind. There was no going back, but Denzel's optimism was not as misplaced as he first thought; they were a part of this world now, and he could make it better, for Denzel, for himself and for all the people he cared about.

But he had priorities, and the highest was taking care of his son.

Denzel had finally been discharged from the hospital later that night, following minor amounts of sarcasm directed at the admissions clerks. The boy had been through a rough few days, and Cloud wanted him to at least be comfortable in their new home instead of a sterile hospital ward. They had found three additional bedrooms on the second floor of the apartment when they explored it, sharing a bathroom and shower. Not incredibly useful to them, but he let Denzel pick the bedroom he wanted and sent the boy off to sleep, shortly going to sleep himself once he'd determined that it was too late to do anything else useful today.

He woke early the next day, dressing again in his casual clothes as the pre-dawn light started to gather around the edges of the drawn curtains. He wanted his clothes as nondescript as possible, hoping to blend in to the rush hour crowds of Midgar - that was at least the upside of Denzel delaying his task by a day, the morning crowds were always easier to lose yourself in than the evening ones. Grabbing a plain grey hooded sweater, he wrapped it around himself and left the apartment, only stopping to leave a note for Denzel. He tucked his Shinra ID away and shoved his hands into his pockets as he stepped out of the headquarters into Sector 8 - the more like a teenager he looked, the better.

Sector 8 was one of the jewels in the crown of Midgar, the dazzling and fast paced entertainment district that provided a glitzy covering to the rust and corruption that literally lay beneath. Home to Loveless Avenue, playground to the rich and famous of the planet, where dreams could come true if you could afford their price tag. It was here that the entrance to the Shinra building was located, and Shinra pride demanded that it awe the public as much as the tower itself.

Navigating his way around the grand fountain in the middle of the square, Cloud continued his walk until he could finally spot his tail. Sector 8 was a training ground for Turks, their first missions often involving guarding the streets or trailing random people to practice their spying abilities. The Turk following him was no rookie however, apparently aware that the distinctive blue suit would give him away, he was keeping just out of Cloud's line of sight, flashes of a blue sleeve or shoulder the only hints that he was there.

Spotting the stairs that would take him up to Sector 1, he veered off towards them, resisting his instinctive urges to glance back at the trailing Turk. It would be easier to lose his tail if he played the part of oblivious civilian, boring the Turk with an easy task until he found the right moment to disappear. Following behind a slow moving cluster of tourists, he trudged up the stairs, keeping with the chattering group as the made their way to the train station. He could have found any number of public telephones in Sector 8, but there would be too much risk his conversation would be overheard if someone was following him. He needed to lose the Turk and the train station was the first step - the stairs up were the only way to reach it and the Turk would be forced to show himself.

Reaching the train platform, Cloud took the opportunity to take a look around the station, noting not just the obvious fact that a train had not yet arrived, but that his Turk friend had yet to follow him up the stairs. Perhaps he wasn't being followed after all? Taking a seat on one of the benches facing the entrance to the sector, he waited for the train, eyes flicking between buildings and windows to spot the flash of blue that would tell him if his opponent was better than he gave credit for.

No such brief evidence presented itself as he sat, jumpy and alert on the hard wooden slats. By the time his eyes had covered every dimly lit window and every shadow haunted alley, an ear-splitting whistle sounded to alert all that the train had arrived. Standing from the bench, he chanced another scan of his surroundings before joining the queue to board. Flashing his Shinra ID to the ticketer, he shuffled ahead of those who were paying and entered the carriage.

_Clever,_Cloud thought to himself as he spotted the blue suit hidden amongst the rows of already boarded passengers. There was no denying this Turk's intentions, even behind thick red bangs and wide shades, the eyes were obviously following him as he took his seat at the opposite end of the carriage. Pulling out his phone, he made a show of flicking through his text messages until he could feel the train moving once more. Avoiding the gaze of the Turk, he pocketed his phone and left his seat, slipping through some standing passengers to reach the end of the carriage. Using the other passengers as cover, he briefly glanced back to see the Turk also getting up from his seat.

Sliding the door open just enough for him to squeeze through, he entered the other carriage only to find it annoyingly populated, though less so than the initial one he boarded on. Slamming the door shut behind him, he deftly navigated his way down to the back of the carriage, his sensitive ears picking up the sound of the first door opening just as he reached the second. Luckily, he found what he was looking for in the third carriage. Bereft of seats and carpet, this part of the train had been vandalised and thus stripped down, only marked as out of order until the train stopped at the central station for repairs. Finally alone enough to use his enhanced speed, he sprinted in a blur to the sealed door, wrapping his fingers around the handle and wrenching the heavy steel door open.

Sound flooded the carriage, the constant roar of air rushing past drowning out all sounds but the steady chug of pistons driving the wheels and the numerous clacks as those wheels passed over new sections of track. With a firm grip on the outer handles, Cloud swung himself outside the train, scenery blurring past him in a streak of dull blue-brown bricks just an arms length away from his body. Stretching his arms past the open doorway, he yanked the door closed again, hoping he had completed his task quickly enough that his tail had been too far away to hear the unmistakable cacophony of an open carriage.

Looking up, he could see the low ceiling of the tunnel barely half his height above the train, not enough room to even crouch without risking a severe rearrangement of his head. No matter, it was not exactly the first time he had engaged in risky acrobatics on the outside of a train. Swinging his arm up to find any of the usual handholds, he pulled himself up to the roof, shimmying length-ways until he way lying down on the top of the train, hands wrapped tightly around the carriage vents. There was no way he could hear what was going on inside the carriage, deafened as he was by the roaring wind, so he could only imagine that the Turk was as confused about his disappearance as he hoped.

The tunnel came to an abrupt end and shortly he was travelling again out in the open. Spotting a convenient bridge up ahead, Cloud pulled himself into a crouch, yanking his hood over his head to cover up the distinctive blond spikes and yanking the cord tightly to secure it against the wind. Waiting for the locomotive to enter the tunnel he leapt into the air, the momentum of the train easily carrying him the distance to the bridge. Tumbling over the railing, he landed on the hard cobbles of the street, boots scraping loudly on the stones as he skid the entire length of the bridge, improbably coming to a stop at the opposite railing.

With a brief glance around at the staring bystanders, he pulled the hood even further down his head and sprinted off down the nearest alleyway, not wanting to attract any more attention than he had just lost.

After emerging from a connecting alleyway after a detour through several residential blocks - it wasn't paranoia if _Turks_were following you - he reappeared back on the street, wandering the various roads of the sector until he found a suitably abandoned public payphone. Pulling the door shut, he dropped a coin in the machine and dialled the number.

"Vincent," he said once the other end had picked up.

~o~o~o~o~

"You should just be glad you didn't end up assaulting one of the members of executive board," Sephiroth said as Angeal paced back on forth in his office. The general had become exceedingly concerned with his friend as he was regaled with the events of the day before. The first day the professor had landed back in Midgar and already he was stirring up a whirlwind in Sephiroth's usually quiet patch of turf.

"That's not the point-"

"It is exactly the point, Angeal!" Sephiroth cut him off with stern words, the commander finally stopping his pacing to face his companion. "Somehow Strife is the one person that is able to provoke you, and he is not even provoking you. This is not the Angeal I know."

Angeal frowned, annoyed but unable to refute his friend. "Why has this become about me?"

"Because I am more interested in what is happening with you than everyone in the science department combined."

Angeal leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms, smiling faintly at his silver haired friend. "Thanks, Sephiroth."

"I am hardly the best psychiatrist, but let's see..." Sephiroth folded his arms on the desk, leaning towards Angeal as he talked. "You have been keeping Zack off active duty ever since Genesis got injured. You've been even more protective since he left. Are you afraid of losing your student?"

"Very nice, cutting to the obvious. Of course I'm afraid of losing him, that's just normal."

"When you heard that he might have been involved in a plane crash, you blamed Strife for it. Even when he turned up fine, you did not stop blaming Strife."

"Sephiroth!" Angeal snapped, running his hand through the back of his hair in irritation, before he caught himself and quickly snatched his hand away. It was a mannerism he had picked up off his student, something that was too embarrassing to be caught doing by his friends. "I don't need useless pop psychology. I know I don't have the best reasons to dislike the professor... though him being in the science department should be reason enough. I'll deal with it."

Sephiroth sighed. "Angeal, if you were dealing with it, you wouldn't have tried to hit him."

"Look, I'll just stay away from him for a while," Angeal said, only to quickly change the subject, "but the way he blocked that punch, I've never seen anything like it."

"New materia? That is what the science department does." Sephiroth scratched his flawless chin with a gloved finger. "I could ask him about it."

"Don't trust him, Sephiroth. He has a lot of secrets."

"This is Shinra, it is a company of secrets. Compared to Hojo, Strife is an open book."

"That may be so, and it could just be a new materia. But how could he cast such a powerful materia? The results of Hojo's experiment?"

"It would seem likely."

"It still doesn't add up... what about his age?" Angeal started clicking his fingers softly as the continued talking, his mind trying to clutch a train of thought that was just out of his reach. "You said he was older than us, but he looks younger... but his son... his son was at least thirteen."

Sephiroth hm'd thoughtfully for a moment, his fingers tapping gently on the desk as Angeal's words triggered a similar thought in his head. "Hojo had a bad habit for someone in his position: incessant muttering. Stay around him long enough and you could find out anything you wanted to know." Feline eyes flicked up from their vague wandering to pin Angeal down. "Occasionally I would hear him talk about someone who had crossed him years ago, that he had trapped away in a body that never aged."

"Trapped by Hojo for years... no wonder he wanted him dead."

"No wonder he wouldn't tell anyone," Sephiroth added.

Angeal looked up, returning Sephiroth's gaze with a half-hearted glare. "Don't tell me you want me to feel sorry for him."

"No," Sephiroth replied, shaking his head. "I want you to apologise to him, even if I have to lock you both in a room to get you to do it."

"Apologise?" Angeal pushed himself away from the wall, voice rising in indignation before just as suddenly, he stopped himself. "You're right, I should," he admitted, leaning back against the pale wallpaper. "But on one condition."

"Hm?" Sephiroth asked, not even bothering to dignify the demand with words.

"Keep looking into him. If I'm wrong, I'll leave him alone. But if I'm right..."

"You don't even know what it is you would be right about. But I agree, it is worth finding out. I even have something that may help."

"What is it?"

"A paper crossed my desk this morning," Sephiroth explained, flicking through a pile of manila folders on his desk until he found the relevant one. "A cross-department effort is being put in place to shut down 'obsolete Shinra outposts'."

Angeal walked back to the desk, taking the proffered folder and curiously leafing through the contained pages. "Military personnel with top sensitive information scores... working with Turks... instructions not to handle any documents," he read off the list of familiar keywords from the paper with a distinct lack of surprise. "So they're putting together cover-up teams."

"A lot of cover-up teams," Sephiroth nodded, reaching over the desk to point to a paper that was of particular interest. "Look who is in command."

"Officers will report to Tseng and Tseng will report to... Strife." Dropping the folder back on to the desk, Angeal leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Although... why Tseng? Why go over the head of the leader of the Turks?"

"Veld is not the only one to be left out - so have I."

Angeal blinked in shock. "_You've_been left out? How does that even work?"

"I am to provide the soldiers, but the mission will be classified to me," Sephiroth replied.

"I told you. This isn't good, Sephiroth."

"Perhaps not. It is not unexpected for the science department to be... unusually classified."

"So what do we do?"

"I have a list of sites that Strife wants to be purged," Sephiroth explained, sliding another piece of paper over to the commander, this one obviously a photocopy of an official document. "These sites must hold something he doesn't want us to know."

Angeal smiled, his eyes scanning the list of locations on the paper. "So we need to get there first."

"Exactly."


	14. Sky Blue Eyes

_Apologies for the chapter notification spam. If you're looking for the new chapter, skip to Chapter 21 - Mentors._

_Despite the editing, I have had to restore the fic back to 20 chapters – deleting the chapters and then placing new ones in its place has somehow broken the story on FFN, and the support being what it is I've had to restore the chapters so they are back up to a count of 20._

_Part 1 will be Chapters 1-17_

_Part 2 will start with Chapter 20, the new chapter is at Chapter 21._

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 14: Sky-Blue Eyes  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,805

"What about Vincent?" Denzel asked, turning his head and averting his eyes as the needle slid into the back of his hand.

Cutting off a small piece of tape, Cloud pressed it over the needle, attaching it firmly to the skin. "I called him three days ago, just after you got out of hospital," he explained as he cleaned up the remains of the equipment, unbuckling the cuff from Denzel's bicep. He had been performing the mako injections every day since arriving back from Nibelheim, the word quickly spreading around SOLDIER that their enhancements were no longer the painful ordeal that they used to be. "It'll take him maybe a month to get here, but I couldn't tell him anything over the phone."

Denzel nodded, absently tracing his finger over the slowly discoloured veins that were appearing on his forearm, the lines a shy pattern of softly glowing green. "It feels funny," he said, giggling slightly as he pressed down on a large vein, the glow intensifying as the mako pooled under his skin.

"Does it hurt?" Snatching the boy's hand away from the arm, he knelt down in front of the chair to look Denzel in the eyes, his concern redoubled.

"No... no... it feels... funny," Denzel smiled, his eyes unfocused and dilated. "My head feels weird."

Cloud wrapped his fingers around Denzel's hand, using the virus plaguing both their bodies to reach into the boy's mind. Pain, not belonging to him, but to another mind far away, the trapped feeling as tendrils of green slowly wrapped themselves into a wall, blocking the mind of the other that struggled, struggled desperately to avoid being cut off. His own mind was hazy, the picture of Denzel as a consciousness becoming more and more unclear.

"Jenova," Cloud whispered in response as he tightened the grip on Denzel's hand, the eyes watching him briefly constricting into feline slits before returning to their normal shape.

"It's... her?" Denzel shrank back into the chair, his eyes growing even wider.

"It's working," Cloud said, releasing the hand from his grasp. It was a relief, he only had a vague idea of how the mako would block the influence of Jenova, but his picture of Denzel's mind seemed to verify it. The added consciousnesses of the spirits in the lifestream would wrap around his mind, making it hard for anyone looking from the outside to find the one mind that was in control of the body. "The cells are trying to call to her, but can't."

"I can't be controlled anymore?"

Cloud shook his head. "She can't control anyone, but you still have to resist the link," he explained. They had both been through the violation of having their bodies taken over by Jenova's 'children', the remnants using Denzel and the other children of Edge as human shields, and Sephiroth using Cloud as his puppet. In a way, it was a good thing. Both of them had built up some sort of resistance to being used in that way, something that could not be used against them should the worst happen.

"I can feel it," Denzel said with wonder, a finger absently rubbing his forehead as he stared at something only he could see. His pulled his hand from his face, clenching his fist in concert with his mental actions.

"Good." Cloud smiled, reeling back slightly as he was forcefully shoved from the boy's mind. "Just remember that-"

_Knock knock._

They both turned to the door just before it opened, Cloud rising from his kneeling position as a woman in a lab coat was revealed in the doorway.

"Doctor Rayleigh," Cloud greeted, his memory and her current appearance matching up almost perfectly. She was a tall woman, standing at least a few inches above himself, her soft brown hair tied neatly back into a ponytail.

"Please." She smiled back, eyes briefly scanning the room before her gaze fell on Denzel, then back to Cloud. "Call me Evelyn. I hope I'm not interrupting?"

"We're just about done here, Doc... Evelyn," Cloud replied, turning back to Denzel to finish the procedure. He had to wonder, with the knowledge that he held now, why exactly Hojo had used the methods he did for enhancing humans with mako. He had not experienced the most common one, but Zack had told him the experience was not pleasant, a syringe full of concentrated mako injected straight into your bloodstream, at levels where the green substance acted more like a potent acid than the lifegiving blood of the planet. The one he had experienced was the mako tank, being literally drowned in the liquid, locked in a glass cage with no escape as the tank was slowly filled, until there was no more air and your lungs gave out. The burning liquid would seep into your eyes, fill your nose and burn down past your throat no matter how much you choked until your lungs were nothing more than two sacs swelling with pain.

He glanced at Doctor Rayleigh, who had taken to leaning casually against the wall while he finished up with Denzel. If he remembered correctly, although that was a big ask of him, she had _something_to do with the SOLDIER program... he just didn't know what. In any case, it was likely his new assistant had been involved with Hojo in some way.

Hojo. Maybe it was sadism or psychopathy that the man either enjoyed the pain he was inflicting on his subjects, or he just didn't care either way. At least it did not matter anymore, the twice dead mad professor would have no new victims to inflict his particular brand of suffering on. He pulled out some strips of tape, securing the tubing further up Denzel's arm before hooking the bag and the infusion pump on to one of the portable IV stands.

"Here," Cloud said once he had hastily scribbled out a note and signed and signed it, "show this to your sergeant. Just make sure the line doesn't get tangled and try to keep walking around and talking until it drains, then you can sleep."

Denzel nodded as he took the note, his eyes briefly scanning the instructions before he folded it and shoved it in his pocket. "A SOLDIER needs to watch me?"

"If possible," Cloud said, nodding. "Best to have someone who's been through it before."

"Ok." Denzel nodded once more before sliding out of the chair, one hand gripping the IV stand as he wheeled it to the door. "Thank you... sir," he added after a quick glance at Doctor Rayleigh.

Cloud tried to resist the urge to hug the boy as he left, or ruffle his hair or any other number of embarrassing father moves. He glanced at Rayleigh as the door swung closed. Yes, the less people that knew the better.

"So you're my new assistant," Cloud said as he started cleaning up the supplies.

"That's right... sir," she added quickly. "Do you always wear a suit when checking patients?"

"I'll put a lab coat on if it's messy," he said back, finally snapping off the examination gloves and dumping them in the bin. "Let's go to my office," he added, stalking straight past the woman and out the door, Rayleigh following on his heels as quickly as she could.

"Are you always this brusque with people?" she asked as they reached the elevator, Cloud jamming the button to go up.

"Usually... yes." Not that he cared how he came off to people. He was pretty short with most of his friends, so strangers got the extra abrupt end of the stick. She would get used to it. "Did you ever work with Hojo?"

"A few times," she replied, following Cloud into the elevator. "I was recently assigned to the SOLDIER project, but Hojo wasn't exactly the open sort."

_"Cloud, move!"_

_"I can't do that! If we make any sudden moves, Doctor Rayleigh's in danger."_

_"Move!"_

It had been barely a month away from his fifteenth birthday, not long after he had met Zack for the first time on the disastrous mission to Modeoheim. He was stationed at Junon at the time, so when a mission had come up to escort one Doctor Rayleigh in Midgar, he fought tooth and nail to get assigned. Anything he could do to get back to his mourning friend.

It didn't work out quite how he hoped, as soon as their troop carrier had arrived in Midgar they were met by the Turks and quickly ushered on to a train to meet up with the doctor. It had not been a successful mission: Cloud had been the only survivor amongst the infantry, Doctor Rayleigh had nearly been killed and whatever it was that she was carrying had fallen into enemy hands. At least he got two week's downtime in Midgar out of it, time he mostly got to spend with Zack as the older SOLDIER was only on voluntary missions.

"We're here," Rayleigh said with an amused smile, knocking Cloud out of his thoughts. "Is it a requirement for science department heads to space out all the time? No wonder I didn't get the job."

"You don't want to know what the requirements are." _And if you want to know, I wouldn't want to tell you._

"Hello, sir!" Cloud looked behind them to see Elena walking down the corridor, papers stacked under one arm as the other waved enthusiastically at them. "Oh... Doctor Rayleigh, hello!"

"Elena." Cloud almost sighed the greeting as they both turned around. "We'll be having a meeting in my office, so... hold my calls, or something."

Ushering Rayleigh into his office, he sat her down in one of the chairs, pausing for a moment behind his desk as a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Rayleigh... as in Rayleigh scattering?" Cloud asked as he sat down at his desk. "Explaining why the sky is blue."

"That's right." She smiled proudly back at him. "It was my first paper, I wrote it with my father. It's not just the scattering of sunlight, but any light travelling through transparent medium..."

He fought the urge to bang his head against the desk. This was going to be a long meeting.

Cloud sighed, leaning against the wall of the elevator with his hands shoved into his pockets as the car rumbled down to take him home. Doctor Rayleigh was not only smarter than him but also a very knowledgeable scientist, someone who knew her field of physics so well that it would be nearly impossible to convince her that he had any credentials at all. He had mostly been able to get out of any serious scientific discussion by explaining that he was a physician and that he only had basic knowledge outside of his field, but that would only last for so long.

Finally reaching his house, he opened the door, chuckling softly as it revealed black spikes poking out from the end of the couch. At least there were still a few people he could talk to in this life that he didn't have to be completely fake with. "Zack," he said, shrugging off his jacket as he kicked the door closed behind him, "how did you get in?"

"I was looking after Denzel, but he was getting tired from the mako. We came up here to get him some sleep," came the reply from behind the couch. Some brief rustling, then the television was switched off. "Sorry I haven't been around, Angeal's been frantic about getting ready for Wutai."

Cloud didn't say anything at the mention of Angeal, just leaned against the chair opposite Zack.

"You know," Zack said, kicking his feet up to rest on the coffee table, "you and Angeal in a fight is the last thing I would have guessed."

"It wasn't much of a fight," he said, picking up his coat and leaving for the bedroom. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop an interrogation over Angeal, but he could try. "I'm going to get changed."

"Still don't like the monkey suit, huh? Looks good on you, though." Zack grinned.

"Thanks," Cloud replied, shrugging his shoulders at the odd compliment before disappearing into his room, quickly shucking his clothes and throwing them on to the bed. Zack thought they... looked good on him? Maybe it was a subtle hint, Zack had just found himself a girlfriend, one with a remarkable track record of convincing Cloud to do things he really did not want to do. Pulling his t-shirt over his head, he winced at the scary thought. If Aerith started rubbing off on Zack, he could easily see himself being dressed up and shoved into dates he didn't want just so Aerith would have another couple to double date with. At least it'd be _suits_she'd be dressing him in this time.

Pulling on some jeans, he returned to the lounge to find Zack still lazing comfortably in front of the TV. Speaking of Aerith, he still hadn't managed to talk to Zack about that night...

"So, how did your date go?" he asked, leaning against the side of the couch.

"It was nice," Zack replied, twisting his head so he could see Cloud, "I'm going to meet up with her on the weekend. Just as friends, though."

"Just as friends?" Cloud asked, the shocked look on his face taking Zack by surprise.

"Yeah, I told her that I really like her, but there's someone else I'm interested in. Didn't want to lead her on, y'know?"

"Someone else?"

Zack grinned. "You're pretty dense for an egghead, Cloud."

"I'm confused. I'm supposed to know who it is?"

"Of course," pushing himself up from his seat, Zack closed the distance between the two of them, one hand gently holding the back of Cloud's head as he pressed his lips against the blond's, a brief kiss that was barely more than chaste before Cloud pulled away.

"Zack, I..." Cloud mumbled, wrapping his fingers around the hand buried in the messy spikes at the back of his head and gently pushing it away. Despite all of Zack's outward confidence, he could feel the nervous tremors in that hand even before he pushed it back against its owner's chest.

Zack smiled, dropping his hand back to his side once it had been released. "Does that answer your question?"

"I- uh..." Cloud stammered, his mind reeling from the brief kiss, the shock and _Zack_, still very much inside his personal space, despite his brave smile looking very much like his heart was hanging from a delicate thread that Cloud was holding on to. _He's supposed to be with Aerith. That's how it's _meant _to be_. "Aerith?" he asked, his coherent question broken down into a single word somewhere between his brain and his mouth.

"I told you," Zack said, his fingers tentatively reaching out to touch Cloud's forearm, wrapping around a solid bicep once his courage was bolstered by not being pushed away. He may have been significantly taller, but he still felt so very small next to the blond. "It's _you_ I like. Aerith is nice, but I _felt_something that night in the cave. Didn't you, Cloud?"

"No- Zack, I had no idea," Cloud said, shaking his head slowly. "I never thought of you that way. I didn't know that you-" _Aerith, Aerith, Aerith, _his mind kept chanting. Each time he saw them, in the lifestream or his mind or wherever it was that the flower girl would yank him to when she wanted a chat, wherever she was, he could always feel Zack close by. Had he ruined that for them? _Aerith's gonna kill me if I turned Zack gay_. "Zack, you're so much younger than I am. I've just never thought-"

"I understand. You're not- I'm sorry," Zack said softly, his shoulders slumping. "I shouldn't have- I should go."

"Zack," Cloud tried to say, his voice caught somewhere in his mind as the SOLDIER turned to leave. For a moment, the background changed to a dusty road winding around rocky cliffs, his vision blurring green at the edges.

"Zack!" his mind screamed, his hand stretching out to try and grasp those broad shoulders, but falling down unseen. His vision spiked green and he was falling, pain lancing through his mind like a sword, a sword as strong, as sharp and as tall as the man wielding it.

_Ohhhh... _he heard groan from one of the few corners of his mind not being sliced through. _My head._

"Zack!" he cried again, his vision barely holding on to the outline of reality. More than anything, he wanted his friend to hold him, to have his shoulder clasped or his hair ruffled and told that everything would be alright because bad things never happen to good people. Not romantic feelings that he couldn't return ruining his relationship with someone he loved like a brother.

"Your eyes..." he heard someone say, but when he looked around, all he could see was white.

~o~o~o~o~

White... nothing but white stretching as far as he could see. No horizon, no sky and no earth, just white. Whether it was the lifestream or some far corner of his mind, he had been pulled here often enough against his will that it should not have been surprising when he once again found himself standing on solid nothingness, surrounded by... white.

Perhaps the confusing part was that Cloud thought it was _her_ dragging him a million psychic miles away from his body to impart some piece of cryptic wisdom that was no better than the _nyuk nyuk_'s they received from the Ancients at the Temple. So then, why was he here? He could vaguely remember fading memories of Zack's death, the haze of mako poisoning and the helplessness as his mind screamed out for his friend but his body just refused to listen. There had been a pain in his mind, like a flaming spike driven into his brain but multiplied by some irrelevant number.

"Who are you?"

Cloud turned, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. That answered that question. Before him was a young teenage girl no older than fifteen, demurely clad in an ankle length blue and white dress, her rich brown hair pulled back in a thick braid that draped down below her waist.

"Aerith," he said, the twitching turning into a full blown smile before the question had caught up with his brain. "My name's Cloud."

"You..." The word came out in a breath gasp, leaving her stumbling slightly as her foot took a step back without informing her brain. "He said... you... Hojo..."

"I won't hurt you," Cloud soothed, edging closer with all the cautiousness one would give a startled kitten. "You have nothing to fear from me."

"Zack said you were nice..." She did not retreat any further, though neither did she look at Cloud, keeping her eyes firmly on the nothingness surrounding her feet. "But he doesn't know what you want."

Zack was talking about him during their date? That was weird. "How about we make a deal?" he said, gathering her hands up in his own. "If I want anything from you, I'll ask... and you can say no."

Aerith nodded, letting her hands slip from his loose grasp before she looked him in the eye. "You don't look like a scientist."

Cloud blinked, puzzled for a moment before he looked down to find he was wearing his heavy black woolen shirt and tough combat pants, the handle of First Tsurugi and a single pauldron visible out of the corner of his eye. "I guess not," he said after a short chuckle, fingers that had long missed the feel of the sword wrapping around the handle. The real outfit was locked away in the back of a storage locker he had rented in the slums of Midgar, along with the rest of the equipment he hadn't risked taking to Shinra with him.

"Where are we?"

"I think it's the Lifestream. You haven't been here before?"

"In my dreams, I would hear my mother's voice. I remember white trees and a stairway made of light..." she let out a soft gasp as their surroundings shifted and they were standing on a great spiral staircase, each step barely visible but for a pale violet glow. The stairs ended far below them, leading into a great castle with enormous crystal walls of varying heights, a few great spires reaching far above the staircase itself. "I would be walking down the stairs as she talked to me," she continued, her voice increasing in excitement and wonder as she bounded down the staircase, Cloud following silently behind her as she talked and ran. This place was never a dream for him, always a nightmare. "There was an altar below, surrounded by water..."

At least somewhat more used to the ways of the ethereal dreamscape, Cloud placed his hand on Aerith's shoulder to stop her stumbling as the scenery swirled and changed around them once again, starting with the stone beneath their feet expanding out until it had formed into the circular altar on which they stood, the surrounding water and castle coalescing into existence shortly after.

"I knew this place was important," she said, looking out over the calm lake to the looming spires of stone and crystal. "But I never understood why."

"It was once a city of the Ancients," he explained, carefully avoiding the reason he knew it was important, "but it has been forgotten for two thousand years."

Aerith turned back to regard Cloud, her eyes roving over his face as if it could contain some key to his mystery. "You've been here before," she accused.

Cloud nodded. The lifestream or the city, the answer was the same for both.

"Are you Cetra?" she asked, a tinge of hope seeping into her voice.

Cloud shook his head. "No, I'm just a man," he replied with a small amount of pride. Not SOLDIER, not monster, not puppet. Just a man.

Aerith frowned, the hope in her face leaving behind confusion as it left. "I thought only Cetra could hear the planet."

_But, those that disliked the journey appeared. Those who stopped their migrations built shelters and elected to lead an easier life. _Words spoken in spite that he remembered but hadn't heard. "Humans were Cetra once, too. Sometimes we can hear it again, if we try."

"Humans... were once Cetra," she paused, almost looking like she was trying to decide if the idea appealed to her or not. "How do you know so much?"

"I listened to a lot of people." Didn't talk, just listened. It was amazing what people would tell you to fill a silence.

"So who are you, really?"


	15. Lifestream

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 15: Lifestream  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 2,814

"He is my successor," came a voice from just out of their sight, both of them turning to find a short man standing in a long beige overcoat that seemed to blend in and blur around the edges, the background flowing into the fabric. His lip was covered by what could only be described as a bushy walrus moustache, tiny spectacles balanced on the end of his nose giving the impression of a stereotyped academic. "Much more worthy than Hojo, I must say."

"Professor Gast. You haven't joined the lifestream?" Cloud blinked at the wavering image of the long dead scientist, the constant shifting and warping straining his eyes.

"I have my lovely wife to thank for that," Gast replied, his eyes settling on Aerith. "I wanted the chance to talk to my daughter for the first and last time."

"Daughter?" Aerith stammered, her breath catching in her throat. "You're my..." The scenery once again shifted before she could finish her sentence, both Gast and Aerith fading with the the altar and lake, leaving Cloud alone once more in the endless sea of white.

"Let them have some privacy," a voice from behind him said. Did everyone who inhabited the lifestream really need to keep appearing up behind people's backs?

Cloud turned to see the new arrival. He had not seen her before in person, only in the videos that Gast had left behind, Gast's murder at the hands of Hojo and the kidnapping of the infant Aerith and her mother. The grainy video did not do her justice, dressed in a flowing scarlet dress with a sash of red ribbon, the rich chestnut hair that Aerith had inherited fanning behind her like a shimmering cloak. "You are Ifalna."

She nodded gently at him and gave the slightest upward curl of her lips, a gesture that was hauntingly familiar. It took a shake of his head to remember that Aerith had only gone to meet her father, that he was not seeing her smile from the world beyond.

"Do you know why I am here?" he asked. "Why is Aerith here?"

"The Calamity is stirring once again," she said. "The Planet cannot heal until she is destroyed, so it created guardians to defend itself. A small number of surviving Cetra defeated Jenova, and confined her. They remain asleep, but the Planet has not fully healed itself yet. Even though Jenova is confined, she could come back to life, so they are watching her."

"Weapon." Cloud sighed at the word and the memory, the longest and most grueling battles he had ever. fought were against the Weapons, battles of endurance lasting for hours as they threw every possible resource they had against the towering beasts. Yet even with all the power, strength and determination they could muster it was only through sheer luck that they had eventually defeated them all. "Is that why I am here, the Weapons are waking up?"

"The Weapons are stirring, but they have not yet woken." Ifalna shook her head. "No, the Calamity cried out to her children, to call them to her. You resisted, and she lashed out."

"Reunion," he said with an involuntary shudder, wishing there were something in this blank canvas he could sit down on, or lean upon for support. "So my mind shut down my body before it could be controlled?"

"I do not know," Ifalna replied, shaking her head. "If you can resist her, then you know more than the Cetra ever did."

"Will the Weapons attack the cities if they wake up?" Cloud asked. If they didn't know about Jenova, at least they could tell him about the Weapons.

"They will seek out anything that is a threat to the Planet," she said. "They will seek Jenova above all."

"What if they can't find her, or if they destroy her?" His shoulders slumped, the scenarios once again playing through his mind. Sephiroth had managed to fool the Weapons before, so that instead of attacking the immediate threat to the Planet, they had instead besieged human cities all over the world. "Will they attack the cities then?"

Ifalna furrowed her brow, a look of concentration brewing on her face as her form shifted, blurring into white then green and back again. Cloud could hear the hushed whispers at the edges of his mind, the millions of voices of the lifestream struggling to be heard. "The Weapons are not mere automatons, bent to the will of the Planet," she replied finally, her form solidifying back to normal. "They decide what is and what is not a threat to the Planet, we do not know how they will judge humans."

"Badly, I would think," came Gast's voice from the nothingness, the wisps of white coalescing once again into his form. "If they are judging threats, then humans would be just as bad as Jenova."

"I don't understand," Aerith said, her own form smoothly transitioning out of the white. Curiously, she appeared behind Cloud, small hands clinging to his arm as she faced the ghosts of her parents. "Why would the Planet destroy humans?"

"The Planet cares only about staying alive," Gast explained, adjusting the glasses on his nose. "If she dies, then so does everything that lives on her. The loss of humans would be a small price to pay to keep alive an entire world full of life."

"The Planet does care," said Ifalna, shaking her head as she contradicted her husband. "But she is so very big, and we are so very small. When she has to act, it can cause great destruction she never intended. That is why there are Cetra, to help her with the finer details."

"How can we destroy Jenova?" Cloud asked, glancing to his side at Aerith. He wondered what would make her seek his body for comfort over her parents, but dared not ask.

"Bring her body to the Weapons, they will know what to do," Ifalna said. She frowned, shifting on her feet before the white around her blurred and suddenly, she was gone.

"I know you have more questions, but you cannot stay here," Gast said, looking to the spot where his wife had disappeared. "Be careful of Shinra, Cloud. I thought I could change it, too."

"You were part of the problem," Cloud said, narrowing his eyes at the scientist. It was Gast's name on the Jenova project, Hojo merely continued his work. "Sephiroth was... made under your watch."

Gast gave out a heavy sigh that spoke of years of tormented guilt. "Left to their own devices, good people will do good things and evil people will do wicked things. But to get a good person to do a wicked thing, you need Shinra Corporation." With that, he too disappeared into the white.

"Well, Cloud, it was nice meeting you." Aerith chuckled, releasing her hold on his arm as they both felt the world fade, the white closing in on them.

He opened his mouth to reply, but the world had already disappeared and no words came out. His vision was black and his limbs heavy, each twitch of his muscles registering nothing but a crushing weight pinning him down to the ground.

"Cloud," he heard whispered softly somewhere off in the distance.

His eyes lightened, the weight lifting off long enough for him to open them to the harsh glare of white light. Not a peaceful white, like the soothing landscape of the lifestream, but a piercing fluorescence that seeped through his eyes to directly assault his brain.

"Cloud!" he heard the voice again, this time coming from a large dark blur hovering directly in front of him. He was lying down, his body instantly recognised as he moved his arm, finding that the oppressive weight holding him down felt like cotton, crisp and warm. His slowly returning mind was telling him he was in a bed, albeit one he did not recognise and in a room that had no right being as bright or as painful as it was. Shuffling himself backwards, he pushed the sheet down only to frown, confused when the cold breeze blew against his naked body. No, not naked... he was wearing his underwear, and not a breeze either - no, it was artificial, air conditioning circulating the uncomfortable cold through the room.

"Zack?" he asked as the world focused into view, dark hedgehog spikes first catching his eye, followed by the unmistakable trail of dried tears over graceful cheeks. Zack was sitting at his bedside, at his hospital bedside, and he had been crying. Had Zack been crying because he had been hurt?

As soon as he had said the name he found himself with an armful of overjoyed teenager, arms wrapped tightly around his bare chest and the weight of the boy pressing him down into the bed as Zack mumbled something so quickly and incoherently he couldn't catch a word of it. "Zack, you're supposed to be talking to me, not my pillow," he said with a weak chuckle. His mind finally started catching up... he had been in his apartment, then the lifestream, now the hospital...

"Sorry," Zack said with a sheepish grin, pulling back from the hug. "I was just so worried!" He snatched his hands away from Cloud's torso with a blush once he realised he had been holding bare skin.

Cloud frowned at the embarrassed retraction of hands. Zack would never have cared if he were naked before giving a hug, probably delighting in the squawk of protest it would have drawn out from his younger self. But Zack was a teenage boy, and hopefully would get over the crush quickly if Cloud did not encourage it. He just wished it had never been there in the first place to get in the way of their friendship.

"I'm fine, Zack. How long was I out?" he asked, not wanting to bring the issue up. He would have preferred not to remember the mortifying kiss.

"Uh... about an hour." The teenager turned to briefly glance at the clock on the wall. "Yeah, just over an hour."

"Alright," Cloud swung his legs over the bed, and giving a few stretches to test their strength, dropped to the floor. "Where are my clothes?"

Zack shrugged. "The nurses took them off, I don't know where they put them."

Cloud glanced around the room, briefly considering sending Zack to go get them. While he was nowhere near as body shy as he had been as a teenager, he still wasn't the sort of person to have spiky black hair and parade around the hospital in his underpants. Spotting one of the standard lime green patient robes hanging on the back of the door, he draped it over himself and left the room, Zack following close behind if the sound of heavy combat boots hitting the floor were any indication.

"Cloud, are you sure you should be up? You were just..."

"I'm fine, Zack," he said, cutting Zack off as they came up to the nurses station. He had himself discharged from the hospital, much to the consternation of both Zack and the nurse in charge. Normally he would agree that a patient shouldn't be checking out without being seen by a doctor first but this was, of course, different. He knew exactly what had caused his collapse, and did not have time to wait for normal procedure. If the Weapons were waking because of Jenova, he had precious little time to stop it, especially if he didn't know exactly how much time he had.

The nurse finally came back with his personal effects and a clipboard of forms to sign. Hastily scribbling his signature at the bottom of each page, he took the bag of clothes from the nurse and hurried back to the hospital room. Zack waited timidly outside as Cloud threw off the gown and quickly dressed himself back in the casual clothes he had been wearing. Dumping the rest of the bag on the bed, he gathered up his ID badge, wallet and cellphone, dumping the former two in his pockets and quickly checking over the latter.

His mind, working overdrive since he had woken up, had thought up three important things he needed to do. First, Denzel was likely to have suffered the same effects as he had if he resisted Jenova's call. Denzel had been sleeping in their apartment when he passed out.

"Zack," he asked as he left the room to find the SOLDIER leaning against the wall. "Do you know if Denzel's alright?"

"Yeah, they wouldn't let me in because I wasn't family," Zack said, pushing himself away from the wall. "He came down with me, but the little guy was tired. I took him back to sleep and said I'd call when you woke up."

Cloud nodded, relieved that at least Denzel had woken up, rather than being lost somewhere in his own mind. That left the second and third tasks, finding Jenova as soon as possible and preparing to fight the Weapons in case they failed.

"I need you to find Sephiroth and Angeal, then meet me in my office." He did not want to rely on them, but he had only defeated the Weapons with his team of powerful friends. There was no choice, he needed allies... or at least, people to fight Weapon with him. "Tell them it's important, they need to meet with me."

"Cloud..." Zack stopped his walk, his words coming out in a breath of confusion. "What's going on?"

"It's Jenova, Zack..." Cloud explained, stopping only briefly to impart the warning to his friend before he walked out, leaving Zack alone in the hospital lobby. "Don't mention that name, but something big is coming."

Cloud shoved his hands in his pockets, the corridors moving past in a nondescript blur as he walked by, deep inside his own head. What to tell Sephiroth and Angeal, what to tell his employees in the science department, what to tell the President and the executive board. He needed each of them onside, each of them needing different amounts of information than the other. Sephiroth and Angeal might react well to the "Planet is in danger and now pissed off" argument, but badly to the news of Jenova. The President would be the opposite.

He sighed, kicking the floor petulantly as he entered the executive elevator. His hand was being forced, and for all the planning he would like to be doing, he was just simply reacting to the events that were being thrown his way. Just this once, this time around, he had been hoping that he would be able to have some control.

The elevator finally dinged and he followed the corridor down to his office, checking the names off as he went. Vincent would be too far out, but he would at least be helpful in battle when he arrived. The Turks would possibly be of some help in finding Jenova, if they weren't already investigating after the orders to shut down the research sites came through.

Out of habit, he nodded to Elena as he entered his office, only realising she was not there once he had looked up from his cellphone. He stopped at her desk, checking the clock on the wall - 9pm. He pondered calling her in, but quickly decided it would be easier if he did not have to worry about the Turks hearing any of his conversations. Grabbing the pile of folders relating to the research sites, he shoved the door to his office open and got to work.

Each one of the folders was likely to be very interesting, if he had enough time to read them all. Detailed photographs, floor plans and investigative reports that provided their best guess as to what research was being conducted at each site. He had only managed to cover half a dozen in detail since the reports had come in yesterday, but now he was just looking for something specific in the reports. He would have known if Jenova turned up, or if any of the sites were still being used, but it was harder to tell if anything was missing, especially anything specific. However, a mako tank or any equivalent equipment that could hold her would not be be easy to steal with subtlety...

_Ring ring._

Sighing at the interruption, he grabbed his phone from his pocket, briefly checking the incoming call before he answered. "Zack," he greeted, the brief annoyance he felt seeping away as soon as he saw the name.

_Cloud, I can't find them, _Zack's voice came through the speaker, bordering on panic._ I just thought he was busy today..._

"What?" Cloud asked, frowning. He hadn't been that long.

_Angeal and Sephiroth never checked in this morning and they're not answering their phones. They've been missing since last night._


	16. Genesis

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 16: Genesis  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,717

The door closed behind him with the sharp click of electronic locks snapping back into place. Cloud stood in the entrance, eyes adjusting to the darkness. If Denzel was still feeling poorly after his injection, he did not want to disturb him by turning on the lights. Shrugging his shoes off at the door, he made his way as quietly as possible to the stairs, feet softly patting against the carpet as he walked. He stopped at the bottom, one hand on the rail as he peered into the hallway above, his eyes detecting the faintest glow of light bouncing off the walls. Was Denzel still up?

He took the stairs slowly, the task of trying not to make any sound as he climbed made difficult by the pliant wood, each one threatening to creak as he shifted his weight. The source of the light was obvious once he reached the top, a faint white light emerging from the doorway at the far end of the hall. He gripped his armband, his materia glowing a soft green under his shirt as blue flames formed around his forearm, the beginnings of a spell licking and cracking in the air. The light was not coming from Denzel's room, but the office where they had stored the books taken from Hojo's library in Nibelheim. His hearing picked up the faint traces of rustling paper... if someone was after the books...

He crept towards the door, footsteps light as he approached, the walls glowing and flickering a soft blue pattern in time with the flames around his arm. Carefully placing his hand on the handle, he readied his hand to throw the spell and pushed the door open, his body half shielded by the wooden door as he pressed into the room, one flaming hand held high.

Denzel started in his seat at the office desk as the door was swung open, his eyes widening as they locked on to the flickering blue flames.

"What are you doing up?" Cloud sighed in relief, the flames fading into nothingness as he lowered his hand.

"I slept all afternoon," the boy replied, standing nervously from his chair like a schoolboy trying to explain his actions after being caught by teacher. "I didn't feel tired, so I thought I'd get some work done."

"Work?" Cloud asked, for the first time noticing the mess strewn about the room and desk. The pile of research books and papers were nowhere to be found, apart from a rough stack of loose paper on the desk and plastic bags filled with shredded documents. "I asked you to look through the books, not destroy them."

"You said the books were dangerous," Denzel said, " so I started scanning them to the computer and shredding the paper. That way you can make sure no one gets them."

"I guess it's safer than keeping the books around," Cloud said, shuffling through the broken covers of the books, their spines ripped out and cut off to facilitate their insertion into the document feeder. "Won't it be easy to copy the data files, though?"

"Not if you encrypt them!" Denzel reached over to the laptop and pressed a button on the side, a small rectangular object popping out from the one the many slots. "It's all on this," he said, handing the object to Cloud.

Cloud looked down at the small object between his fingers. It was a square made of transparent plastic, a metallic disc embedded in the centre that seemed to reflect the light into a multitude of different colours. "I guess I don't really understand computers," he admitted as he turned the fragile card between his fingers. "Why couldn't someone just steal this?"

"Because they need the password," Denzel said with the same exasperated tone of voice used by teenagers everywhere trying to explain technology to their parents. "They can't look at it if they don't open it."

"Did you find anything interesting on the pages?"

"Nothing I could understand," Denzel said with a frown. "But you should be able to search for things easier since it's on the computer now."

"Yes, that would be very helpful," Cloud said, handing the plastic back to Denzel. At least the books were gone, even if he had his reservations about the electronic form being easily copied again and again. But if Denzel said it would be better, he trusted that judgement. "Just don't stay up too late. You have training tomorrow."

"It's Sunday tomorrow, dad." The single day of the week the army grunts were allowed to themselves.

"Right, so it is." Cloud gave a bleary yawn before pulling Denzel into a quick hug, the boy immediately squirming uncomfortably in his arms. "I'm going to head to bed. Good night, Denzel."

Cloud gave a small frown as he made his way to his bedroom. At Tifa's insistence, he had made a routine out of hugging the kids each night before they went to bed. What had changed to make Denzel so ill at ease with it?

Stripping off his clothes and letting them fall to the floor, he climbed into his bed and let his mind drift off. He already had enough to think about without adding more.

It did not take him long to fall asleep, but even then his mind did not let him rest.

~o~o~o~o~

_What you pursue will be yours. But you will lose something dear._ _The Planet... is __probably watching this situation closely. Be careful of forgetfulness. Your lucky colour is... blue. You look pretty good with that. What we did in Midgar can't be forgotten, no matter what the reason._

With the warm glow of sunrise washing over the room, Cloud sat on the edge of his bed, shaking his head as he tried to separate the dream world from the real one. He was sure he had heard a voice just before he woke up, but the memory of what it had said was fading quickly, along with the rest of his dream. He'd had the same experience before, when he had lost his sense of self and his subconscious had literally spoken to him in his dreams, trying to warn his waking mind that something was wrong. But the voices had been clear then, like someone whispering in his ear as he lay in bed. Not muddled wisps that drifted away as soon as he tried to grab them.

He pushed himself away from the bed and pulled on the pants he had left lying on the floor. Worrying about his dreams was pointless, the voice would not get any clearer by fretting over it and if it was important, it would no doubt keep trying until it got through. He grabbed his shirt from the floor and left the room, the last memories of his dream fading as he did.

"There's some breakfast in the kitchen," Denzel called as Cloud entered the living room. The boy was lying on the couch, eyes glued to the cheap Sunday morning cartoons.

"Have you been up all night?" Cloud asked as he crossed the room, pulling the shirt over his head.

"I couldn't sleep. I just thought I'd stay up until tonight." Denzel pulled himself up from the couch, fishing around in his pocket for the disc. Finding it, he pulled it out and handed it over to Cloud. "I finished the books, though."

Taking the disc with a grateful smile, Cloud dropped it in his pocket. Even if security was a concern, the benefit of being able to search through the entire library with ease should be worth the risk. "I'm going to take the laptop and visit Zack," he said as Denzel went back to watching the cartoons. "I promised I would tell him."

~o~o~o~o~

"I'm trying to see if there are any other references to Jenova," Cloud said as he scrolled impatiently down the laptop's screen. He was sitting cross-legged on the short bunk, his back against the wall and Denzel's laptop across his knees as he browsed the books Denzel had scanned into the computer.

"And Jenova is what, exactly?" Zack asked from his position at the writing desk in the tiny room. They were holding their discussion in the SOLDIER's small barracks room out of fear that Cloud's office had been bugged.

"The Ancients called her the Calamity from the Skies," Cloud said, hoping the explanation wasn't going to sound too stupid or far fetched, always a real chance when it came to explaining Jenova or the theory of planet life to someone brought up in the modern world. "A meteor crashed into the Northern Continent two thousand years ago. What emerged, was Jenova."

"So Jenova was what wiped out the Ancients?"

"Yes... Jenova can shift her form, and it took on the appearance of the Cetra, deceived them and finally, gave them the virus."

"The virus? I thought you said Jenova was a virus."

"She is and she isn't... there are two parts to Jenova, the cells and the virus." Which was what he was currently trying to look up amongst Gast's research, searching for keywords without having time to read the entire collection of over fifty books. "There's really not that much we know about her."

Pushing the laptop away so he could easily rest against the wall, Cloud let out a pointed sigh. The research was getting nowhere, not when he could barely understand half the terms that Gast was using and the other half he could understand, he already knew. "Hojo had something he called the Reunion Theory. When Jenova's cells are separated, they will try to come back to the main body."

_Or whoever is controlling the main body,_ he added in his thoughts. Sephiroth had done such a thorough job of subverting Jenova that it was hard to tell what actions were hers and what were his, or how much they influenced each other. "The virus is what infects things, mutates them and makes them go mad," he continued. "That is what makes stable SOLDIERs, the cells _without_ the virus."

"So Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth all have the cells? Is that why they're all so powerful?"

"No, Zack. _All_ SOLDIERs. You, me, everyone."

"I... I was afraid you'd..." Zack sighed, his head drooping into a listless slump. "All of us. We're like a den of monsters, then."

"I told you... it's only what you do that makes you a monster. Not what anyone does to you."

Zack nodded, even if the sag of his features betrayed that he did not believe it. "So we're all connected with these cells. That's why I got a headache when you collapsed?"

"We could all hear Jenova, just... some of us more strongly than others..." Cloud grumbled as his pocket starting buzzing, reaching in and fishing out his phone. "Hold on," he said, checking the screen briefly before flipping the cover open.

"It's Denzel," he said briefly to Zack before holding the phone to his ear. "Denzel?"

He frowned, pulling the phone back to check if the call was still connected. "Denzel? Hello?"

"What's wrong?" Zack asked, concern evident on his face as he stood from the chair.

"I can't hear anything," Cloud said, straining his ears to listen. If only the enhanced hearing of mako-infused individuals could transfer down the phone line. "Denzel!"

He growled, shaking the phone in frustration before snapping it closed. "Something's wrong." Pulling the sensitive disc out of the laptop and dropping it into his pocket, he closed the lid of the machine and jumped down from the bunk. "I need to find him."

"Maybe his phone just dialled in his pocket."

"He would have heard me," Cloud said with his hand on the door. "I can't take the chance." Pushing the door open with a hard shove, he ducked out of the room.

"Cloud!" Zack called, following out into the corridor to find the retreating back of the blond. "I'll check if anyone's seen him, ok?"

"Thank you!" Cloud replied, pausing to nod back to his friend before turning the corner and running for the elevator.

He cursed the fact that the machine did not share his human sense of urgency as he had to wait for the elevator to arrive, then to rumble upwards at the same sedate pace as if it were taking him to work. It may have been faster than taking the stairs, but all he could do was stand there in the empty glass tube, waiting for the machine to pull him up. At least when he was rushing through corridors and up stairs his mind didn't have time to think, to present him with all the ways that Denzel could be in trouble, hurt or worse.

The elevator mercifully dinged and he nearly ripped the doors from their railings in his haste to exit. He could already see his front door as he ran down the corridor, the door that was designed to automatically shut was gently swinging on its hinges, a large hole through the middle of the wooden frame.

"Denzel!" Cloud shouted as he pressed the door open, moving more slowly into the room, his caution finally overriding his sense of urgency. Whoever was able to rip the lock from the door was strong, SOLDIER strong. With his current luck, Angeal or Sephiroth could have come back and decided his son was the best way to get information out of him.

Rushing up the stairs three at a time, he could barely hear any sounds over his own footsteps and the racing of his heart. There were only two rooms that he would be in upstairs, the office or Denzel's bedroom... and since it was unlikely Denzel would be in his room this early, he charged the office door, twisting the handle down and shouldering it open.

Cloud froze as the door gave way, the handle groaning as it bent under the strength of his grip. Denzel lay still on the floor, arm clutched to his side in a futile attempt to stem the blood flowing on to the floor. A man with striking auburn hair stood above the boy, blood dripping from the edge of the sword at his side. Genesis. He could only remember flashes of the man from his memory, but the coat of flowing red leather that covered the SOLDIER uniform left no doubt.

"Denzel!" Cloud cried, shoving the door to the side and starting forward, only to be stopped when that red blade swung towards him, stopping inches from his face.

"He will be fine," Genesis said, lowering the blade until it was pointing at Cloud's chest. "A scar and a lesson on picking his battles will be all he takes from this." He paused for a moment, holding Cloud as swords length as his eye wandered about the bristling blond's form. "So you're the new Hojo. I expected small, but not... pretty."

Cloud pulled back, circling carefully towards Denzel, an action that the redhead seemed happy to let him do, only moving the sword so it was still pointing at him. Genesis was known as a skilled swordsman as well as Shinra's most powerful mage and... summoner. "You're the one who attacked our transport," he accused, his voice a low growl. "Does Angeal know you nearly got his student killed?"

"I didn't know his pet was on board." Genesis shrugged, the tip of the blade wavering at the gesture. "Not that it made any difference."

Cloud glared back, prickling at the flippant response to the admission that the redhead tried to kill him. Not that people trying to kill him was new, but now the ex-SOLDIER had branched out into trying to kill his son. "How did you get in?" he asked, trying to at least stall for more time as he inched towards Denzel.

"An eternity of stairs and an endless amount of keycards," the redhead chuckled as he explained. "The mayor was also most helpful."

"I know what you want," Cloud growled, narrowing his eyes. If Genesis had come straight to his apartment, that only meant one thing. He was after books they had taken from Hojo's library, the key to understanding the Jenova project. "I'm not going to let you have it."

"How confident you are, little one," Genesis replied, a wry chuckle complimenting his dismissive tone, "when even I do not know what I want."

"You want to be cured," Cloud stated more than asked. "But you're going the wrong..."

"Genesis!" A black blur followed the yell as Zack charged into the room his sword out, his wild swing at Genesis effortlessly stopped by a one handed block of the redhead's blade.

"Well, well," Genesis smirked as he eyed the new arrival, his tone light with mockery. "Angeal's puppy has grown into a guard dog. Woof woof."

Cloud crouched down next to Denzel, the crashing of blades and furious yelling allowing him cover enough to wrap his arms around the unresponsive form, pulling the boy close to his chest as he dragged him into the corner, behind the desk and away from the fighting.

"Denzel," he whispered, his eyes beginning to burn as he gently shook the boy. The carpet was streaked red from where he dragged Denzel, his hand and shirt soaked with too much blood. "Denzel," he whispered again more desperately, another shake with no response.

Pulling away the limp hand that was no longer pressing down on the wound, Cloud grabbed the front of the boy's uniform and ripped, blue fabric stained purple tearing open in tatters. Using the only clean scrap of cloth as a rag, he wiped away the blood covering on the boy's skin to reveal no wound but a ragged line of raised and inflamed tissue, the edges already settling into a pale scar from magic rapidly stitching together the flesh. The flesh covering a tightly muscled stomach, the hints of baby fat all but gone... when had the wiry orphan he had taken in become a young man?

He shook the thought free, instead laying Denzel against the wall while he turned back to the immediate threat of Genesis. In their brief fight, Zack was already losing badly, forced on to the defensive and struggling to use his cumbersome broadsword to block the brutally fast jabs of Genesis' sword. For every two attacks he blocked another would get through, barely deflected grazes and gashes along his arms that while minor, were adding up rapidly as they slowed the inexperienced SOLDIER down even further.

Tapping his bracer briefly, Cloud activated his materia, a soft yellow glow visible from his forearm as a protective spell washed over Zack, Denzel and himself, the barrier almost immediately deflecting a powerful thrust to Zack's unprotected midsection. As soon as Genesis had his back turned for another series of punishing strikes, Cloud vaulted the desk, launching himself into the air at the red SOLDIER, his hand held high and crackling with vivid green flashes of magical energy.

"Cloud!" Zack cried, but it was too late... he couldn't change his course in mid-air. With a heavy blow to throw his opponent off balance, Genesis turned to the new threat and in one smooth motion stabbed Cloud through the forearm, the spell dissipating into a shower of harmless sparks. Momentum carried Cloud forward, pushing the sword through his forearm into his shoulder and out the other side, the blade wrenching harshly as he slammed into Genesis, tearing further into his bone and flesh as they were both knocked to the ground, the sword pinning Cloud's arm to his shoulder like a skewer.

His blood had barely splattered against the floor when Zack charged in, a heavy swing of the large broadsword catching Genesis off guard as it landed, ripping through leather and flesh in a bloody line from shoulder to back. Pressing his advantage, Zack dropped his shoulder and rushed the other SOLDIER, slamming into his back before he could stand and tearing the sword from Genesis' grasp.

Cloud yelled in pain when the sword was torn from his shoulder and through his arm, a thin arc of blood spraying through the air as Genesis pulled it back to his side. Kicking against the ground to push himself back against the wall, Cloud clutched his shoulder in desperate agony as he once again called on the materia to aid him, the green glow travelling up his arm and through his shoulder as the magic began to knit together severed flesh. Propping his back up against the wall, he could only watch as Zack and Genesis continued their battle. Genesis held his left arm tight against his body, the shoulder drooping from where Zack had scored his only blow against the redhead. Despite that, Zack was doing much worse, the fabric of his shirt tattered and soaked in blood from the many minor wounds he had received from the effective tactic of attrition his opponent employed. Both men were lagging as they fought, the thrusts of the rapier not as quick and the slashes of the broadsword not as strong.

The bleeding stemmed, Cloud struggled to his feet, glaring at Genesis with a newfound respect. He had underestimated the man, badly and to near fatal consequences. The sword could have easily gone through his chest and with his reckless charge he could have done little to stop it. No, this was the man who rivalled Sephiroth before him, so he had to play it smart. Keeping Zack in between him and Genesis, he carefully touched the teenager's back, the ripples of healing energy passing between them in a pale green stream.

"You have some skill at magic, little one," Genesis said with a chuckle, flexing his left arm as he judged the injury. "Ah, after my own heart. Perhaps this shall be interesting after all."

"No, Genesis," came a voice from the darkness of the corridor, dripping with malice and rage. All eyes in the room turned to the door as Sephiroth stepped into the the room, both hands holding Masamune over his shoulder in a battle-ready stance, the blade pointed at Genesis unwavering even as he stepped forward. "This will be over very, very quickly."


	17. Rhapsodic Defenestration

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 17: Rhapsodic Defenestration  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 3,717

"No, Genesis… this will be over very, very quickly." Sephiroth stepped into the room with unerring purpose, both hands holding the Masamune high over his shoulder, the blade pointed at Genesis unwavering even as he stepped forward.

"Zack, leave." He had not taken his eyes off the red SOLDIER even while commanding the teenager.

"But-"

"Now!" Sephiroth growled, cutting off the protest. His voice was not to be denied.

Zack reluctantly nodded, his eyes flicking between Cloud and Genesis as he backed away, lowering his sword.

"You too... Professor."

Cloud eyed the general with a look of barely contained disdain, refusing to even acknowledge the order he had been given. He stepped away from the two Firsts, tight bursts of energy running up his arm as stepped in front of his fallen son, placing his body in between the opposing SOLDIERs and Denzel.

Genesis was, if anything, just amused by the sudden appearance of his dour peer. "You look terribly angry, Sephiroth. Shouldn't you be happy to see an old friend?"

"If it was I who left without a word, you would be seething. Am I not allowed the same emotion?"

"_I hate and I love. Perhaps you ask why I do so. I do not know, but I feel it, and am in agony,_" he recited in melancholy tones, the lyrical quality of his voice left behind. "Allow me my hypocritical feelings."

"Loveless again?" Sephiroth asked, raising an unamused eyebrow.

Genesis threw his head back and laughed. "I am not a one book pony."

"Do any of your books have a flowery passage for 'shut up and get to the point'? Why are you here? Why did you leave?"

"I am a fox, let loose by my masters only to be chased by you hounds in their aristocratic bloodsport. But the fox is a hunter, a survivor. I will be free of their game even if I must tear their throats."

"We are not hunting you, Genesis."

Genesis turned his head to the side, shaking it with a resigned chuckle, devoid of all humour. He stepped closer to Sephiroth, and with his own sword, tapped the tip of the Masamune. "Not yet."

Sephiroth stared at the tip of his sword, that had just shared a touch with his friend. The sword he had been pointing at said friend. "You could still return," he said, _implored_, the tip of the Masamune drooping to the floor.

"Some day you will understand why that is not possible." His face was a picture of pain and regret as the words came from his lips, a brief hint before the mask of suave sarcasm was pulled down once again. "It was nice seeing you, Sephiroth. I'll just take the Professor and go, shall I?" He moved in a blur, one arm snaking around Cloud's shoulder and pulling the blond hostage against his chest. The other stretched Rapier out at Sephiroth, a warning against interfering.

"If it's him you want… take your prize," Sephiroth spat the words out, disgust and disappointment etched in the narrowing of his eyes.

But Cloud would not be taken so easily. Pushing back with his feet, he rammed the back of his skull into Genesis' nose, feeling the satisfying crunch of bone and wet splatter of blood through his spiked hair.

Genesis reacted on instinct, red runes blazing the length of the sword as he brought it into a spinning attack, the blade aiming in his rage to slit Cloud's throat. The attack stopped barely short of its target, the edge of the sword hitting an invisible barrier with an impenetrable thud.

Cloud was holding his hands wide apart, one arm wrapped in the strong yellow glow of a materia casting, seeming to push back against the blade with an invisible sword. The handle appeared first, straps of red leather wound up to the thick steel crosspiece. Wisps of smoke shot up the invisible blade, the winding mass a green so dark it appeared black, each trail leaving behind the bright steel of First Tsurugi before vanishing into the air.

Genesis chuckled, though the effect was ruined by the nasal wheeze Cloud had given him. "You're too small to have pulled that from anywhere..." His eyebrows waggling at the joke even as he was pushed back by the heavier blade.

"Neat trick," Sephiroth remarked, stepping back from the two locked fighters. He lowered his sword, instead looking on curiously at this new development.

"A skill I picked up from an old enemy." Cloud resisted the urge to look directly at Sephiroth as he spoke, though he made sure to keep the silver haired man in his vision at all times.

Cloud began a series of swings at his opponent, each one ripping jagged lines through the walls and ceiling as the enormous blade tore through the limits of the small room. After the first attempt at blocking the strikes left his arm numb, Genesis gracefully danced out of the way, leaving the blond doing nothing but carving jagged lines into the floor.

Cloud backstepped, finding himself on the defensive as the rapid strikes of his opponents light sword ran circles around his heavier, drywall-slowed blade. What he needed was a smaller sword, one that could complete a swing without hitting everything else in the room. Luckily, he had several.

As their swords locked together, he pressed down with his left hand on the back of his blade, gripping the hidden handle of one of the smaller swords set in the main body. Flicking the blade out of the handle until the gears snapped into place, he brought the dagger-sized blade into play.

He fought with two styles, the small and agile dagger in one hand fending off strikes with a speed that the longer Rapier could not match, the heavier First Tsurugi brutally exploiting any openings the nimble dagger could find. The technique may have been unorthodox, but Cloud had perfected it over years of practice, while Genesis scrambled to keep pace with an style he had no experience facing.

It was almost a long lost form of fencing, holding a long blade in one hand to strike with, and a smaller main gauche in the other to parry.

Genesis just wished he'd thought of it first. It would look so much less clumsy with his elegant Rapier.

Not that elegance was helping him much, nor clumsiness hindering Cloud. Genesis was losing ground steadily with each heavy blow he was forced to avoid until he was finally pressed against the full length glass window that looked out over the balcony, Cloud's blade locked against his own. There was nowhere left to go.

"You broke into my home and you stabbed my son," Cloud growled at his opponent, his face twisted in anger as he glared the red SOLDIER down. "Go back to Hollander and die. He can't help you and neither can Jenova."

Anger, outrage and his fierce protectiveness culminated in one final burst of strength. Forcing the joined blades upwards, Cloud performed a half-spin on the spot, planting his foot through the new opening and into Genesis' chest, ribs cracking under the force as he was hurled backwards through the window. The glass shattered around his back, brilliantly sharp shards slicing through flesh and leather as they tumbled with him, over the short balcony and through the railing, tumbling off the side of the Shinra building in a shower of glass and bent steel.

Cloud turned from the broken window, the blades he held in each hand disappearing back into the air with the same wispy green trail. He could see that Zack had re-entered the room now, crouching beside Denzel and holding his shoulders as the boy slowly returned back to consciousness. He started towards his son, only stopped by a firm grip on his arm.

"We need to talk," Sephiroth said with a nod to the door.

Cloud tensed not just from the pain lancing through his arm from the firm grip on his still healing wound. He had turned his back on Sephiroth. He had been so focused on Genesis that he had forgotten the more dangerous enemy behind him.

"No, _you_ need to talk. I don't need to do anything." Cloud shook the hand free and turned to face the silver-haired man. He sighed as the shaken feline eyes looked back down at him. As much as he never wanted to admit that Sephiroth was ever right about anything, he did owe the man information. He was not ready to face down Sephiroth, not yet.

"Fine," Cloud relented after a difficult pause. "Zack, can you take care of Denzel?" Zack had nodded his assent, but he needn't have asked. His friend was already carefully administering a potion to the stirring boy. Satisfied that his son was in capable hands, he motioned Sephiroth out of the room.

"You killed Genesis..." There was a tightness there in Sephiroth as he said the words, a barely noticeable stiffness in his breathing, his posture, his expression. Was it grief? Anger, sorrow or guilt? "I can understand that you... but-"

"He's not dead," Cloud commented as he followed and other man down the stairs, and into the lounge below. Not that he could be entirely certain that Genesis had survived, but he had learned long ago not to ignore his instinct on these matters. Genesis had been moving to the balcony to retreat, not to die.

Sephiroth quirked an eyebrow as he leaned against the wall of the room, the closest he had seen the man to shocked or incredulous since he had been thrown into a reactor by a trooper. "He fell over fifty stories."

Leaning on the wall opposite, Cloud folded his arms and shrugged. "He can fly."

"He can... _what_?" And suddenly that shock was exceeded.

"It is... unique... to the early development of Project G." Or at least, the three original SOLDIERs. Cloud was just glad he had never developed one. "His... condition will bring out a single black wing."

"His condition... I assume this is related to his shoulder?"

Cloud's gaze dropped to the floor. He could only passably remember the events surrounding Angeal and Genesis, but for the nature of the degradation they suffered, he only knew brief parts of what Zack had been able to piece together. "It is... part of it."

"You said Jenova could not help Genesis. I was told my mother died in childbirth. Is she alive and working with Hollander?"

Cloud dropped his head into his hands. "I don't know where to begin," he admitted finally. "I don't even know which lies and half-truths Hojo would have told you." Pulling his face out from behind his fingers, he looked Sephiroth in the eye. "Jenova was not your mother."

"Then who is she?" Sephiroth asked, his brow creasing with frustration. "Why would Hojo tell me that she is my mother?"

"I guess in his twisted mind, it was." Hojo would never have admitted that Sephiroth was _born_, only insisting that he was _created_. To Hojo, he and Jenova were the parents, the ones who created Sephiroth the monster. "Jenova is a... component of the SOLDIER injections."

"Then my mother..."

Cloud almost imagined he could see hope in those cold green eyes. "She died in childbirth, that much is true." Then it was gone. Sephiroth's real mother gave up her own child to a monster, for experiments she had a part in herself. Would telling him about his mother be any better than him finding out what Jenova was?

Sephiroth's shoulders would have slumped, had his pride allowed for it. "I see."

"You're not the only one with questions," Cloud pressed, ignoring the emotional fall of the other man. "Where is Angeal? Why did you disappear?"

"We were investigating the research sites you were closing down. When he did not answer his phone, I went to find him. The place was destroyed by his sword, and his phone was left in the ruins." Sephiroth pushed away from the wall, stepping closer to Cloud with each question he asked. "What were you hiding there? What would make him leave?"

No. No, that was not good. Sephiroth... obviously didn't find anything, he was still here... but Angeal had found something in those labs and left. But which ones? "N-nothing!" Cloud stammered out once he realised he had been silent too long. "The teams were there to investigate the sites. Why were you snooping around?"

"Because as this conversation has made abundantly clear, you would have told us next to nothing." Sephiroth stopped his approach within striking distance of Cloud, looming over the shorter man and glaring him down. "Or do you expect me to believe you hold my best interests at heart?"

"Uh, sirs?" Cloud turned at the sound of the voice to find a pair of Shinra security officers standing in the hallway, the front door flapping uselessly behind them. The one who had gathered the courage to speak stepped forward, helmet gripped tightly in his hands. "We were notified of a disturbance, and-"

"Your presence is not required," Sephiroth cut the security guard off, adding a sharp glare when it looked like he wanted to speak again in protest.

"The General dealt with the intruder," Cloud added more softly, and convincingly... even if he was lying through his teeth. "But I think you may need to call in a builder."

"Yes, sirs." The guards performed a quick salute and even quicker retreat, leaving the two alone once again.

"You had better go as well."

"I still have questions."

"My son has more blood on my office floor than in his body," Cloud growled at Sephiroth with such intensity the famously unflappable man took a half-step back. "I've already wasted enough time on your questions, they can wait."

"Then they will wait. But they will not go away."

With a final glare, Sephiroth turned from Cloud and left the apartment, a movement that pulled towering columns of flame and suffocating terror from Cloud's nightmares. He had barely established himself in Shinra, and already he had more enemies than allies. As valuable as the support of Denzel and Zack was, the enmity of Angeal, Sephiroth and Genesis would cost him much more.

With a brief detour to the bathroom to pick up a roll of gauze, Cloud walked back up the stairs to his injured and inexperienced allies, flexing his arm as he wrapped the soft cotton around his wound. He could feel the muscle knitting back together at unnatural speeds, another trait courtesy of the experiments he had been subjected to.

"You kissed Cloud?" He stopped in the hall, hand halfway through tying off the wrapping on his shoulder as he heard Denzel's incredulous question pass through the open door.

"It was so embarrassing," Zack replied with a nervous laugh. "He shot me down pretty hard."

"You're not even that much older than I am!"

"Yeah, but he doesn't look that old. You have to admit, he's really damn hot."

"He's my _dad_."

"You're awake," Cloud called out before he stepped into the room, deciding that he _really_ didn't want the conversation to progress any further.

"Uh, yeah... it just took a couple of potions," Zack replied with a startled jump, scratching the spikes that fell past his neck nervously. Both of them were sitting with their backs against the wall, Denzel's legs stretched out and Zack's bunched up, his arms hugging his knees.

"Let's see..." Cloud crouched down to inspect the wound. The flesh had knitted together nicely, with no sign of bruising that would indicate continued internal bleeding. The Cure spell was good for knitting muscle and halting bleeding to prop you up in battle, but damage to vital organs was beyond its power. Unravelling the gauze, he wrapped it tightly around the wound, layering the bandage in a wide wrap that would make it difficult for Denzel to bend at the stomach and risk further injury.

"I was hoping I'd get a few weeks in between injuries," Denzel complained as the bandage was tied off. "I swear Cloud, before you came back I went months at a time without being stabbed."

"You'll thank me later. Chicks dig scars," Cloud's short-lived grin was overtaken by a serious expression. "Why would you attack a First Class?"

"I had to stop him from getting the rest of the papers," Denzel grumbled, his eyes cast down. "There were some I hadn't shredded yet. He took them before you came in."

Cloud winced at the news. "What was on them?"

"I don't know... I tried to call you, but he knocked the phone out of my hands."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that now." It was unlikely that a small selection of papers would be enough for Genesis, anyway. He eyed Zack's uniform, splattered with blood and shredded beyond repair. He had more important people to worry about. "Zack, let's take a look at you."

"Uh... I'm fine, really. What about your arm? You got hit worse than I did."

"I already wrapped it," Cloud replied, holding up his forearm as evidence. "I need to make sure none of your organs were hit."

"Really, it's just a few scratches! I cast a Cure and they're gone."

"Well, I need to check. Take off your shirt."

Zack reluctantly acquiesced, unhooking the suspenders from his shoulder before pulling the tattered and slashed remains of his shirt over his head, baring his chest and the network of barely healed cuts to Cloud's scrutinising gaze.

"I'll need to wrap these," Cloud commented upon further inspection, pressing delicately down on one of the scars to test the strength of the sealed flesh. "They could easily re-open." He prodded further, testing each scar with a gentle push to make sure it was only a surface cut, not a deeper wound that would require further healing.

"So, uh... Cloud." Zack was blushing slightly at the treatment.

"Yes?" Cloud said with resignation. He knew what was coming, and he could happily ignore this and hope it goes away. Why couldn't Zack do the same? Or at the _very_ least, not talk about it when he was running his fingers over the teenager's muscled chest.

"You heard... in the corridor?"

"Zack, this really isn't the right time to... oh for..." Cloud buried his head in his hands once he noticed the lines of slashes and trails of blood running down Zack's pants. Maybe Genesis could come back and throw fireballs at them, that would be preferable. "I, uh... need you to take off your pants."

Zack would have paled if the blush hadn't spread to his entire face. "Ah, n-no," he stammered, shifting to adjust the front of his pants. "It feels fine, Cloud. Really!"

Cloud flinched in sympathy. It wasn't like he was a stranger to the uniquely embarrassing reactions that a teenage boy could have to a medical examination, or anything else for that matter. "Just promise me you'll get checked out at the infirmary?"

"Yes!" Zack grabbed on to that option like a life-line. "I'll go down when-"

He was interrupted by a low rumbling, a warning sound before they could feel the room around them begin to shift, accompanied by a persistent rattling as small items covering the shelves and desk began to shake, wobble or fall over.

The shaking was light, barely enough to knock a picture frame off the wall, but it was enough. Ceiling tiles, their supports shredded by the manic fighting were shaken loose by the low rumbling, shattered into plumes of dust as they crashed into the ground. Cloud swatted one away as he raised a protective barrier over them, the weak plaster crumbling under his fist. Zack was hugging Denzel against his chest, shielding the smaller brunet with his body as the weakened remains of the ceiling fell like a rain down their backs.

Just as suddenly, it was over, the room lying still but for the odd scrap of tile dropping from the ruined ceiling.

"An earthquake?" Denzel asked, untangling himself from Zack and brushing off the dust that was clinging to his bare skin.

"You don't get them in Midgar," Zack commented as he likewise wiped the fine white powder off his shoulder.

Silently turning to the window, Cloud looked through the slowly clearing mist of asbestos and plaster, out past the shattered balcony to the horizon, the red light of the setting sun hidden behind the heavy smog of Midgar. Beyond that horizon, Vincent would be intimidating his way to the dark city, seeking answers promised in that small envelope. Nanaki would be sitting around the fire of the Cosmo Candle, listening as his grandfather taught the study of planet life. Somewhere out there, Genesis would be returning to his exile, with Jenova in his grasp but no answers to help him along.

And deep below the Northern Crater, the Weapons would be waiting for their call.


	18. FILLER: Mini Cloud

_Apologies for the chapter notification spam. If you're looking for the new chapter, skip to Chapter 21 - Mentors._

_Despite the editing, I have had to restore the fic back to 20 chapters – deleting the chapters and then placing new ones in its place has somehow broken the story on FFN, and the support being what it is I've had to restore the chapters so they are back up to a count of 20._

_Part 1 will be Chapters 1-17_

_I will try to write out some filler for Chapters 18-20._

_Part 2 will start with Chapter 20, the new chapter is at Chapter 21._

Filler Chapter: Mini-Cloud

Words: 1,012

Tifa kneeled down, picking up the discarded cellphone in a gloved hand. She recognised it immediately, who else could it belong to but Cloud? Flipping the phone open, she checked the screen. 34 Missed Calls. She sighed, closing the phone and dropping it into her pants pocket.

She stiffened, her senses alerting her to the presence of someone else close by. She rose to her feet, slowly turning to find a large rifle pointed to her chest, the tri-dotted helmet of a Shinra grunt staring back at her. She clenched her fists, it was never hard to take down a Shinra trooper, she just needed to be quick if the rifle was point-blank. Quick was something she could do, her concern was not killing the trooper - she needed to know why there were still infantry around, wearing their Shinra uniforms.

"Tifa?" the trooper blurted out, lowering his rifle.

That voice was too familiar. _Oh, no_. Tifa's hands dropped to her side, unclenching.

The trooper reached to the side of his helmet, undoing the straps and pulling the mask off to reveal his unmistakable chocobo-like spikes. Tifa just stared, not at how young this Cloud looked, but at how young he _didn't_ look to her. There was no mistaking that somehow, this was the Cloud from the past that _her_Cloud had gone to. But he didn't look so much different... he was shorter than her Cloud, with a little more baby fat and a rounder, less defined face.

"What's going on, Tifa?" the young Cloud asked, shouldering his rifle. His voice was the most different, nothing like the deep, sultry voice she loved. "You look... different?"

_You don't,_she thought, still wondering how the blond could have changed so little during his teenage years. "There's going to be a lot to tell you," she said finally. "It's not going to be... would you stop staring at my breasts?"

"Sorry," Cloud mumbled, blushing furiously as he tried to look away.

"Right," she mumbled irritably, mostly annoyed because she would have given anything to have Cloud stare at her like that just a few days ago. "Wait... if you're here, then where's Denzel?"

"Denzel?" the blond teen asked, peering after Tifa as she began to search around the room.

"He's your adopted son," Tifa explained as she tore through the room, looking for any possible clue.

"_My_adopted son?" Cloud gaped at Tifa, his eyes widening to comical levels.

Tifa stopped what she was doing, looking back to find Cloud's goldfish impression ongoing. "We should get back home," she sighed, pulling out her phone. "I'll call the others, this is gonna be another one of those days."

"You found him in the same room?" Vincent asked, looking over at the small blond who was happily swinging his legs on the barstool and drinking a tall glass of orange juice and listening to Yuffie babble about materia.

"Spiky headed nutter screwin' things up again," Barret muttered.

"You woulda done the same if it were Marlene that went," Cid said. The group of former Avalanche members had collected in Seventh Heaven, sitting in one of the larger booths and staring at the younger version of their former leader dressed up in the uniform of their former enemy.

"I found him there, but there wasn't any sign of a past-Denzel," Tifa said.

"If this Cloud is fourteen, then Denzel wouldn't have been born at that time," Vincent said.

"Do we even know if they went back to the same time?" Tifa asked.

"We can only guess." Cid stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and leaned back. "Problem is, they haven't gone back in our time."

"How do you know that?" Vincent turned to the pilot, one eyebrow raised.

"If he had, we wouldn't be havin' this discussion, see?" Cid replied, putting his two index fingers next to each other on the table in demonstration. "Say this finger is us, and this is him," he wiggled his fingers in turn. "If he went straight back, everythin' would change an' we wouldn't know about it. But, if he went back an' _sideways_, so to speak," he moved his fingers around to demonstrate the timeline, squiggling the Cloud finger back up to demonstrate them being scrubbed out. "Then it looks to him like he's gone back, but to us life goes on. Apart from squirt here appearing." He nodded his head towards the mini-Cloud.

"Alternate dimensions," Vincent said.

"No, no." Cid shook his head. "A dimension's something that exists in our world, or our universe at least. Like we live in a three dimensional world, so ya can't see something four dimensional, but you could sorta see its three dimensional shadow."

Barret fixed a wary eye on the pilot. "How'd you learn all this science crap?"

"Fer feck's sake, muscles." Cid sighed, taking another cigarette from behind his ear and lighting up. "D'ya think I just shit out airships? There's a bit of goddamn science involved in making giant-ass steel boats fly."

"Then he went to another reality," Vincent said, interrupting their little spat.

"Somethin' like that," Cid said, nodding. "Can only guess, we'll never know for sure."

"So, what do we do with him?" Tifa asked, indicating the young blond at the bar.

"Hey!" Barret grinned, thumping the table with his gun-arm. "We sen' him back, an' our Cloud comes back!"

"That doesn't bring Denzel back," Tifa said.

"Or we end up sending him to another past," Cid added after a long puff. "An' we get another goddamn squirt in return."

"We can give him a normal life," Vincent said. "At least we can let him make his own future. It's what any child deserves."

"Somehow I doubt Cloud can ever have a normal life," Tifa replied.

"Yeah, but we should try." Cid nodded along as he spoke. He looked up at Barret, who reluctantly nodded his head.

"Then we're agreed." Vincent stood from the table, the others following behind. "We tell him what we can, and he makes the choice."


	19. FILLER

Filler Chapter:

Apologies for the chapter notification spam. If you're looking for the new chapter, skip to Chapter 21 - Mentors.

Despite the editing, I have had to restore the fic back to 20 chapters – deleting the chapters and then placing new ones in its place has somehow broken the story on FFN, and the support being what it is I've had to restore the chapters so they are back up to a count of 20.

Part 1 will be Chapters 1-17

I will try to write out some filler for Chapters 18-20.

Part 2 will start with Chapter 20, the new chapter is at Chapter 21.


	20. Initiation

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 20: Initiation  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 5,759

_Two months later…_

It couldn't have been easy, could it?

No, the Planet itself liked to play the puppet master, jerking him around whenever it liked. When did things ever work out in his favour?

Another hail of bullets ricocheted off the overturned concrete pillar they were taking refuge behind, leaving a cloud of dust and the echoed rings of bouncing lead. The concrete jungle surrounding them was swarming with blue uniforms, just waiting to take their heads off as soon as they poked them out of cover.

"I'll distract them," Zack whispered, motioning his intended path with his hand. "Take their position from below."

Before he had a chance to protest at the insane idea, Zack was leaping over the relative safety of their cover to charge the ranks of Shinra infantry, swerving and diving through the debris littered highway as he made up the ground between bursts of gunfire.

As insane as it was, they were going to be outflanked if they stayed there any longer, and Zack had just provided him the perfect cover. The pillar didn't cover to the edge of the highway, but he was able to make a running leap out of the cover, sliding on his back until he dropped off the exposed edge, just managing to grab a hold of one the exposed beams before he fell down into the slums below. Half running along beams, half swinging between girders, the trusses hanging below the road provided him with a clear path to the target in the tangled mess of interchanges and highways surrounding the Sector 5 pillar that the locals called Spaghetti Junction.

The radio crackled in his ear. "I can't keep this up much longer!"

"Nearly there!"

At the very least the end of the road was in sight, the building he was after hanging precariously over the edge with only rusted and worn bracing keeping it from falling into the black pit below. Legs dangling over said black pit, he pulled himself from handhold to handhold along the bottom of the concrete structure. Already the leather on his gloves was beginning to tear and wear through from the frantic grasping and scraping along rusted and sharp metal girders and reinforcing bars. Hoping that his gloves- or at least his hands- would hold up for the final climb, he swung his body around at the edge of the building, swinging his whole body from his fingers while looking up to the wall he needed to climb.

It was probably some sort of public works building, road maintenance or something similar, with no expense nor aesthetic design considered when creating its concrete facade or square utilitarian windows. The plain wall made it harder to climb, but at least the windows were wide and low, long since smashed out to allow for a stealthy entrance. Finding finger holds that were bordering on precarious he pulled himself up to the lower window, jumping the rest of the way and catching his fingers on the window ledge.

Drawing a knife from his belt he pulled himself up with one hand to peer over the edge of the window. Just one Shinra trooper, leaning against the window sill with his rifle in his lap and a bored stare at the wall opposite. The fire fight had died down it seemed, the echoes of gunfire not being heard since he had reached the building.

Reaching up with his knife, he sliced through the poor trooper's spine, as much to make sure that he could not cry out in shock as anything else. He pulled the man out the window, leaving him to quietly fall to his death in the slums below while he nonchalantly climbed through the window, wiping the bloodied knife on the wall and sheathing it back into his belt.

The room led out to one large front entrance with three troopers entrenched at the windows, heavy machine guns set up to fire on any of his friends that were unfortunate enough to cross their field of fire. Of course, such tunnel vision on the battlefield had its drawbacks as well. The first trooper barely made a sound when his neck was broken from behind. The second had not noticed, did not even look up from his position until the knife had opened his throat. The third looked up at the desperate gurgling, only for a heavy punch to throw him back against the wall, the concrete cracking like a spider web from the impact of his skull.

"I'm clear here. How's your position?"

"We found the bomb," came the reply, the voice accompanied by a background of gunfire and shouts. "It's at the pillar! They're going to bring down the plate!"

Sector 5, not Sector 7. It was an unwelcome chill, not just horrible feeling of deja vu and nightmare fuelling memories, but the realisation that the genocidal dropping of a plate was not an unusual thought in Shinra strategy.

But he could stop it this time. Jumping over the abandoned machine guns and bodies of the dead troopers and out the window he hit the ground running, pulling the oversized sword from his back as he went. Concrete pillars and jagged bars of metal flew past as he made his way to Zack's position. Flashes of blue were swarming the walkway that spiralled around pillar, every so often clashing with the two darker figures on the opposite side - their backup, Essai and Sebastian. He could see Zack on the adjacent railway lines, neck deep in reinforcements that were pouring out of the tunnel, his sword swinging wide arcs that were taking down two or three troopers at a time.

Then Zack stumbled, tripping over the rails just as a spray of blood erupted from his chest. He'd been hit.

"Zack!"

The troopers turned to him as he yelled, now that their previous target had tumbled from the tracks, crumpling into the scaffolding below.

He just ran, ignoring the echoes of gunfire around him, running until he could see Zack lying motionless on the tracks below. Channeling all the power he could muster into his bracer he leaped from the edge of the highway, flinging out a small ball of fire as his body was hurled across the chasm.

The fireball exploded above him as he landed, the bodies of unlucky troopers raining down around him as he ungracefully slammed into the trusses, bending and breaking the metal to slow his momentum.

"C'mon, Zack..." he muttered while traversing the twisted metal to his fallen friend. Where the bullets may have failed, the rusting infrastructure had succeeded, bringing a powerful SOLDIER down with nothing more than badly placed re-bar.

"Leave me," Zack said, the words gurgled through the blood flowing from his mouth. "Finish the mission."

Zack was right. Even as he knelt down to help, there was nothing he could do for his friend that wouldn't make dying longer or more painful. "I'm sorry, Zack."

"Don't be." Zack gave him one last, blood smeared smile. "Denzel, you're doing fine."

Letting his mentor's body slide back to the ground, he picked up his sword once again. "Essai," he called through the radio. "Zack's down. I'm going for the bomb..." He frowned, distracted by a ringing coming from Zack's body. His cellphone?

"Dammit," Zack grumbled, jumping to his feet and pulling the offending phone from his pocket. "It's Sephiroth. Alright, mission end."

"Hey," Denzel said with a chuckle as Zack was distracted by fumbling with the controls. "I can see through you." He poked a finger into the bullet hole, the illusion broken when it was stopped by Zack's very real body.

"Hey!" Zack grumbled, putting the phone to his ear. "Stop poking my mortal wound. You should get to your barracks and pack, this is going to take a while."

"Yes, sir." Denzel grinned, giving a sloppy salute before joining his teammates at the other end of the training room.

~o~o~o~o~

It was like the first day of school, nervous wonder overshadowed by ominous dread and self-doubt.

Denzel was clearing the possessions out of his locker, the door hanging slightly too low where fumbling with tightly wound nerves, he had nearly ripped it from its hinges when the shoddy lock refused to open. A reminder of how drastically his strength had increased over the past month, and how little control he had over it.

"This is it, then?" a voice called from behind the sagging door, one that he recognised as belonging to Cain, his towering squadmate and one time antagonist.

"You're not leaving without saying goodbye, are you?" Distracted by the voice, he had not noticed Cecil, another squadmate and rival of Cain, had circled around the lockers until the voice from behind his back made him jump.

"I was hoping to just sneak out," Denzel said with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Leaving us all alone?" Cecil clutched his hand to his heart in a theatrical swoon. "How are we going to get broken bones in training, now?"

"I'm sure you'll manage somehow."

"Won't be nearly as fun without you to beat us up," Cain reached out and ruffled Denzel's messy hair, much to the smaller boy's annoyance.

Denzel dropped the clothes he was holding into his bag and looked at the two other boys. "I wasn't that bad, was I?"

"Well..." Cecil grinned, rolling up his sleeve to show the tightly bound bandages. "I heard Sergeant Klauser saying they were going to have to give you Cure materia so you could clean up after your own messes."

Denzel raised an eyebrow. "What messes?"

"Like what you did to Cecil's face."

"He didn't do anything to my face."

"Oh, it's been like that all along?"

Denzel sighed. Their snide jabs could go on for hours if he wasn't careful and he had a schedule to keep. Dropping the last of his possessions into the rucksack he swung all his worldly possessions over his shoulder and left the two to their bickering.

If only it were that easy. No sooner than he'd cleared the room the two were at his side again, flanking him as he walked.

"You won't forget us when you're in SOLDIER, right?"

"I'll remember that you beat me up when I joined." Sliding his shiny new SOLDIER keycard into the door, Denzel quickly slipped through the opening and shut it before the two could follow.

It wasn't that he really resented the two, or any of the other squadmates that had picked a fight with him, but it was the two-faced nature of their attempts to cozy up to him after he had been promoted to SOLDIER. Yet they were far from the worst - at least Cain didn't try to pretend he wasn't a snide, sarcastic bastard and Cecil had never really shown him animosity in the first place, but others in the barracks had tried to weasel up to him in the worst way, some going as far as bribing him with surprise gifts.

It was just another way to make him feel like an outsider, just in a facetiously positive way. It made him wonder if that had been what Cloud meant by always being an outsider.

In the last few months his adopted father had opened up to him about his days in the Shinra military, from his first unit as a fresh recruit to his final mission as a specialist before the tragedy of Nibelheim. He had talked about the bullying he had received upon his arrival to, in shamed tones, the bullying he had participated in so that he could fit into the group. How the military was worse than a high school, where the problem came more often from superior officers than not, leaving the teenage recruits with no one to turn to. A fact Cloud had imparted on him in that smoky, ominous tone he did so well: even with the ongoing Wutai war, Shinra lost more soldiers to suicide than to combat.

Yet Cloud had been an outsider just from being a bit different, too small, too weak, hair too weird. All very normal compared to being an orphan from the future with alien DNA that gave enhanced strength.

Well, the orphan from the future part was still weird, at least now he was in SOLDIER the alien cells would be par for the course. Well... technically, Cloud was also an orphan from the future.

Somehow, the thought that he wasn't entirely unique was scarier than if he had been. It meant the world was a far weirder place than it had any right to be.

"Hey, Denzel right?"

Denzel stopped to look over his shoulder at the voice, a dark haired SOLDIER that he recognised from the morning's training hurrying down the corridor to meet him.

"Sebastian."

"Yeah, that's me. You're looking for the barracks?"

"Yeah."

"I moved in yesterday. Come on, I'll show you where it is."

He followed the other boy to their new barracks, another bland room of sickly paint stamped right out of Shinra's room template. At least this one had space, however. Rather than the bare walls and sagging wire bunk beds, this room was split up with office dividers surrounding each bed to give a cozy illusion of privacy. Each 'room' had a thick curtain hanging over the entrance to act as a door, two of which had already been pulled to one side. Picking one of the unclaimed rooms closest to the entrance, Denzel dropped his bag on his new bed and took a look at the room.

It was certainly a step up from the infantry barracks. The bed was still a single of course, but at least it was an actual bed, with a wooden frame and a proper mattress to boot. A freestanding wardrobe was taking up one corner of the room, while opposite the bed a small desk was placed against the false walls. Ominously, there was already a neat little stack of papers right in the middle of the desk.

"Swanky digs, huh?"

Denzel jumped at the voice behind him, turning to glare with intent at Zack.

"The old third class barracks," Zack went on with a smug grin and somewhat condescending tone. "Don't worry, in no time you'll be able to work your way up to having walls!"

"At least we have these," Denzel commented, tapping one of the fake walls with his knuckles.

"Yeah, but it can be good and bad. Sometimes you forget that they don't stop sound at all and... anyway, you'll find out one night."

Late at night? Did he mean if they... brought someone back to the barracks? But they only had single beds... Faced with the possibility of being caught out not knowing something he should, Denzel just swallowed his confusion and nodded at Zack like he knew what the other SOLDIER - fellow SOLDIER, _his _fellow SOLDIER! - was talking about.

"Zack! You came all this way and didn't say hi?"

"Seb! Actually, I was dropping by to see you, give my congrats and all that." Zack held up a small hip flask on the word 'congrats'. "Was just surprised to see Mouse already here."

"Mouse?" Denzel asked.

"It's your new nickname!" Zack exclaimed happily, reaching a hand out to ruffle Denzel's already messy hair. "Your hair makes you look like a cartoon mouse."

"Thanks, man," Sebastian replied as Denzel frantically tried to bat Zack's hand away from his head. He took the offered hip flask and had a quick swig. "Whiskey?" he coughed, handing the flask back.

"Tradition." Zack grinned, taking a swig from the flask himself. "Everyone has to drink whiskey when they're promoted. This is just leftover from my party."

"Which you didn't invite us to," Denzel grumbled as as his turn to swig from the flask came around. However, all the words left him the moment the liquid touched... no, _burnt_his throat and left him in a hacking and coughing splutter, bent over nearly double as Zack laughed and patted his back.

"Sorry Mouse, but it's only troops from your old unit and your new class. Them's the rules." Taking the flask from Denzel's hand, he passed it over to Sebastian.

"Sorry, can't," Sebastian said, pushing the proffered drink away. "Not supposed to have anything before going to the med bay."

"Oh, you're getting your injection today?" Zack asked. "Nervous?"

"Yeah, a little," Sebastian said. "I heard the new head of the science department was pretty scary."

"He's not!" Zack said. "He's nice, you'll like him."

"Zack has a crush on him," Denzel offered.

"Hey!"

"You guys know him?" Sebastian asked.

"Wait," Zack considered, scratching his chin. "You know Cloud as well. I saw you talking to him in the training room after he was made director."

Sebastian's eyes made a valiant attempt to escape their sockets. "_Cloud?_"

Zack nodded, somewhat thankful that Sebastian hadn't been taking a drink.

"Short, scrawny Cloud with the spiky hair?"

"You probably shouldn't call him short to his face," Denzel said.

"He's the new head of the science department?"

"Yes."

"I'm not sure if that should make me less terrified, or more."

"I've been having my injections for a while," Denzel admitted. "They've all been pretty easy."

"Oh, so that's how you know him?"

"Uh, yeah." He shot Zack a meaningful look. "He's been the one doing all my injections."

Zack just responded with a sly wink before turning back to Sebastian. "Speaking of which, lets get you down to the doc's!"

~o~o~o~o~

"You didn't get the injection?" Denzel asked when the two of them returned shortly after, Sebastian notably missing the sickly green tinge of the newly injected.

"They said they weren't doing any today," Sebastian said with a shrug.

Zack grinned. "That just means it won't interfere with your drinking tonight!"

Denzel looked between Zack and Sebastian, raising a nervous yet curious brow. "Drinking?"

"Yeah, it's tradition," Zack said, the grin disappearing into a very serious expression. "When you get promoted to your new class."

"We're going to have some hideous training in the morning, aren't we?" Sebastian gave Zack an accusing look.

Zack said nothing, not even the hint of a curl at his lips.

"Fine, I'll go," Denzel said, much to Zack's delight. "I'd better ask, uh- nevermind, I just need to make a call first."

Flipping his phone out from his pocket, he backed off into the corner and dialled Cloud. "Hi, uh- dad. I'm going out with my new squad, so I'll be sleeping over in the barracks."

Slipping the phone into his pocket, he returned to the others. "Got the voicemail," he explained with a sheepish grin.

"Well, with that sorted, you can be off! Fang Bar, 30 minutes. Go!"

"You're not coming with us?" Sebastian resisted Zack's attempts to shove them through the door, fixing a wary eye on the older SOLDIER.

"Nope, that's tradition too!"

"I've got a feeling there's a lot of 'traditions' we're going to have to endure," Sebastian said with dismay as they were ushered out the door.

Luckily Essai was there to meet them at the entrance to the Shinra building, explaining to them that the rest of the squad had already taken the first train and that he had waited behind. They walked down to the train station together, the darkness of Midgar giving way to the darkness of night as they made their way through the few blocks to the trains, boarding the first one they could find to the slums.

Denzel's suspicions rose slightly when they ordered their tickets to Sector 7. Maybe they wouldn't be able to afford the prices of an above-plate bar like he could, but surely it wasn't worth the risk of going down to the slums in full Shinra uniform, was it? The others didn't seem to find any of it strange, so he just kept his mouth closed.

The train ride was sedate, lumbering through the railroads and junctions that he had been fighting on in virtual reality only that morning. He could see the Sector 5 pillar, with Spaghetti Junction intact and bustling wrapped around the concrete supports. They passed through the rail track where Zack had been shot, onwards to Sector 7 where the real tragedy had taken place.

It was an ongoing problem that both he and Cloud had shared, seeing places that should have been destroyed, intact. Cloud had said it had been worse than seeing dead friends come to life, because while the people never really left you, when the places around you changed it felt like the world had changed. He had never been old enough to know the slums before Meteorfall, nor could he remember the trains or the bustle of Midgar, but as the landmarks went past they called out to him, shoving their wrongness in his face and forcing him to confront it.

Wall Market went past, a place he had only ever known as a warning, yet somehow seeing it in one piece screamed out to him that it was wrong. The train had slowed now, winding down through the network of steel until it screeched to a halt at the Sector 7 station. The doors opened and they fanned out, into the dust and squalor that was so familiar in the slums, yet still so unfamiliar to Denzel.

"You've never been to the slums before?"

Denzel turned with an embarrassed start, looking up at the questioning face of Sebastian. He must have looked like a tourist, wide questioning eyes taking everything in. "No, I haven't," he lied. Better to think him green than the truth.

"That means you've never been to a slum bar," Essai said with a grin, slapping him on the back. "You're in for a pleasant surprise, then."

Somehow the word 'pleasant' didn't fit into that sentence well at all. Their group travelled through what would be laughably described as the safe and upmarket part of the slum, winding through the shanties until they found Fang Bar.

Fang Bar was very much born of the slums, built from mismatched materials that had been obviously scavenged from other buildings and the refuse piles that seemed ubiquitous below Midgar's plate. Like Sector 7 itself, it was built ramshackle over time, extending piece by piece to become one of the largest bars in Midgar.

Despite the rough exterior, inside the bar was decently furnished, though the mismatched nature of the walls was unable to be hidden. Cheap though matching wooden furniture was plentiful, as well several larger well-constructed booths that hinted at the amount of money that passed through the place on a daily basis. The bar lined an entire wall, with several bartenders serving patrons that were stacked three deep at places.

"Let's find a booth," Essai said to them over the growing din. After pushing through crowds of people and awkwardly trying to move in some semblance of a group, or at least a chain, they managed to find a recently vacated booth, large enough to fit the six of them.

"You guys haven't met," Essai said when they were finally seated. "This is Denzel and Sebastian. And these are Josef, Gordon and Ricard."

Murmured greetings and handshakes followed, with Denzel already forgetting two out of the three names by the time they had been finished. He only hoped he could remember them by the end of the night, though with the alcohol promised it was going to be a miracle if he could remember ANYTHING by the end of the night.

"Are other companies coming too?" Denzel asked.

"I think there's three of us," Ricard replied. "We're supposed to stick to groups, but everyone wears uniforms so we can tell who's here."

"Makes it sound so official."

"Well," said Essai, grinning like the cat with the cream as he held up a credit card with a prominently displayed Shinra logo. "It kinda is."

All reservations seemed to go out the window at the announcement that the drinks would be paid for by the company - to Denzel, that explained more than anything why they had to go to a cheap bar in the slums - and the drinks started flowing soon after that. Denzel was introduced to new concepts such as flaming shots, drinking rules (which seemed to be widely enforced to make sure he had to take more drinks) and towards the end of the night, body shots. Apparently the lack of female participants was no obstacle, and as the youngest and apparently most feminine looking of the group, Denzel was obliged to take off his shirt and lie on the table as the others sucked tequila out of his belly button. Something was trying to tell him that it was a bad idea, but at this point he was too drunk to even care why that was.

After several complaints that he wasn't getting any drinks, Sebastian acquiesced and informed Denzel that he was "doing him a favour" and sucking the alcohol from his belly button, then went to feed the drink to Denzel in the most sloppy kiss imaginable.

Denzel's complaints that they could have just given him a bottle were drowned out by the whoops and cheers of the rest of the squad.

Even after Denzel was allowed to get off the table (he asked, but still wasn't allowed to put his shirt back on) the vaguely worrying trend of plying him with alcohol continued. Shooters, chasers, flaming shots again, he was beginning to suspect that the others were making the rules of this whole thing up.

By the time last call was announced, they were all barely able to stand, each of them holding each other up in a chain of arms and stumbling as the left the bar. They were the last group of Shinra recruits to leave, each of them deciding that "one more round" involved three more rounds and some sort of vodka drink "for the road". The slums had cleared out by the time they stumbled out of the bar, not even a homeless man shuffling from one alley to the next to be found. None of them noticed the eerie quiet or deserted streets, happily stumbling, yelling and singing as they made their way back through the streets.

"Hey, is this the way we're meant to go?" Denzel slurred, shifting his grip on the two boys next to him. "I don't remember this place."

"Do you remember your name?" Essai laughed from the end of the chain, apparently not aware that he was in an even worse state. All of them were much worse off than Denzel, not having his long term mako fuelled resistance to poisons.

"Bad part of town to get lost in, Shinra dogs."

Oh, that couldn't be good. Swivelling his head from side to side, he made out nearly a dozen rough looking thugs emerging from the alleys to either side of the street. They shouldn't have been a problem for even unarmed green SOLDIER recruits, but this plastered? They didn't stand a chance.

"Wh- what do you want?" Denzel asked.

"We want a lot of things, Shinra. We want our homes back the way they used to be. We want your scum out of our lives. But for now, we just want to send a message to your masters."

Denzel quickly flicked his head side to side, trying to see how his comrades were doing. They all looked like they had sobered up very quickly, but had not even stopped to unlink their arms. Sebastian especially looked like he was going to suffer an unfortunate accident when some of the thugs presented weapons they had been hiding and advanced on them.

"Oh, how very cliche!"

Denzel froze, the refined voice calling to them sending a chill up his spine. He knew that voice, even his drunken haze could not stop him from placing it.

Genesis.

"Could you not have said you wanted peace, a life untouched by corruption, to be out from under the boot of a tyrant?" In a single fluid motion, Genesis dropped from the rooftop and landed with a flourish, Rapier pointing towards their group, a red beacon of light in the dank. "But no, it seems you want a life untouched by _poetry_."

One thing Denzel had learned from Cloud was that alcohol slows your reaction time, but he never mentioned just how bad it was when you were trying to follow a First Class SOLDIER. One of the thugs had charged him, pipe raised high and he could not follow what happened next, only that the thug and three of his friends were sprawled on the ground clutching apparently broken parts of their bodies. Genesis seemed to chain himself from thug to thug, breaking them in a blur off speed and sending them to the ground one by one until finally none were left, only the six drunken SOLDIERlings standing in front of a semi-circle of groaning slum dwellers.

"Oh, the first day of a new class," Genesis said with a wistful sneer as he holstered his sword back to his hip. "How I missed cleaning up after your lot."

"What do you want, Genesis?" Denzel would have said if he was not terrified and glued to the spot, his arms increasing to a death grip around the poor necks of his comrades. Instead, it just came out as a hushed whimper with the phantom feeling of the stab wound along his chest aching.

"Don't worry, little one." Genesis strode forward, flicking half of his coat to the side and pulling out a small, plain white envelope. "I just have something I wanted you to give to your father."

"What is it?" Denzel said, trying to peer through the drunken haze to find any distinguishing feature of the envelope.

"It's an apology. Tell Cloud that I did not mean... I did not want it to go down like that- and I am sorry to you, as well." Genesis seemed uncomfortable at the apology, a strange look on a man that Denzel had only ever seen as confident and controlling. "It was... well, there is little I can say to make it up to you. I am glad you have recovered."

With a curt nod, Genesis placed the envelope in Denzel's hand and turned to leave, only looking over his shoulder to give some final parting words before he disappeared down an alleyway. "Just keep going straight ahead, you'll get to the train station from there."

The young SOLDIERs just stood there for a moment, the awkward adrenaline rush sobering them up in mind but still leaving the effects of the alcohol on their body.

"That was... Genesis?" One of them asked from down the line.

"Yeah."

"And you know... he apologised to... what?"

"I fought him when he broke into my apartment," Denzel said as he tried to get their train of drunken arms moving again. "He kind of cut me up badly."

"No shit," Sebastian mumbled next to him. "Wait, didn't Genesis break into Dr. Strife's apartment? Wait... he's your _father_."

"Don't say it like _that_," Denzel grumbled.

The journey to the train was more silent and sombre after that, the other boys too drunk to question what had happened or even piece together more of the evidence they had just witnessed. They just sat, one by one in silence on the seat of the train as their impaired minds tried to come to terms with what had happened.

Denzel, too, sat in the silence, worried not just for what had happened, but what the other boys had seen had happened. Sebastian had already pieced together that Cloud was his father... but everything about the night. They had got drunk, got really drunk... oh god had he really let them drink alcohol off his chest? Then they got attacked in an alley, and Genesis had saved them... saved _him_more likely, he didn't seem like the type to just swoop down and save a bunch of green SOLDIERs from getting beaten up. Then the man had given him an apology letter to give to Cloud and, most of all, apologised to him for the gutting he had been given three months earlier.

"I should probably deliver this," Denzel said, holding up the letter as they walked back into the Shinra building. They stumbled into the elevator together, Denzel drawing a few confused stairs as he hit the button for the executive apartments - and more dumbfounded looks when he swiped his card and it worked. Maybe he could have got off at another level and taken a different elevator, but at this point it was only a matter of time before they figured it out.

The others left at their floor, some mumbled goodnights as the teenagers left the elevator and supported each other down the corridor, leaving Denzel alone in the elevator as the doors closed and it trundled its way up Shinra Tower.

He walked down the hallway and entered the apartment as quietly as he could - without trying to seem to be walking quietly, his brain seeming to focus on how he was a teenager coming home drunk at - he checked the clock on the wall, 4am - and how every footstep seemed too heavy, every door opening too loud, and the more carefully he concentrated on being quiet, the louder and creakier everything seemed to be.

He stood in the kitchen with the lights off for a while, envelope in hand as he weighed the merits of waking Cloud up to show him the letter. On the one hand, Cloud would be mad at him for staying out all night drinking, on the other hand Cloud would probably be even more mad if he didn't give him the envelope immediately just because he was scared of getting in trouble for drinking.

Logic won out, or at least the part of Denzel's brain that knew Cloud would forgive him, or at least ignore his transgressions in the light of what had happened. Striding with a new found confidence, he gently opened the door to Cloud's room and flicked on the light.

Huh. His bed was empty.

"Cloud?" he called, just in case. No response.

Shrugging to himself, he dropped the note on the bedside table and walked up to his own room, dropping into his bed and off to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.


	21. Mentors

_Apologies for the chapter notification spam._

_Despite the editing, I have had to restore the fic back to 20 chapters – deleting the chapters and then placing new ones in its place has somehow broken the story on FFN, and the support being what it is I've had to restore the chapters so they are back up to a count of 20._

Professor Strife  
by Basilton  
Chapter 21: Mentors  
Betas: ShadowCael, LadyoftheDrow  
Words: 4,446

Why were there people walking through his head?

Denzel crawled up in his bed, throwing the sheets off and blinking blearily in the morning light. Ugh, his mouth felt dry, his head was killing him and for some reason his chest felt sticky. A hangover, he quickly realised, though no one had ever told him of the sticky belly phenomenon.

Then there was that banging again.

It took him a moment or two to realise that it was coming from the front door - and Cloud had not come home last night. Leaping from his bed, he ran the rest of the way down the stairs and into the hallway.

He opened the door to a confused looking Zack, that quickly changed to a terribly amused looking Zack.

"Uh, hi," Denzel greeted, now realising that he was standing in his boxers with the door wide open, an expectant look on his face- though the expectant look didn't last for long, quickly shifting into mortified. "Come in," he practically growled, quickly trying to usher the other SOLDIER inside. At least Zack was making an effort to stifle his laughter.

"Why are you here?" Denzel snapped, his patience already worn thin from being laughed at.

"Sorry... but it doesn't look like you had a great night." Zack paused and peered closer at Denzel. "Or you had a really good night. But I was looking for Cloud."

"Yeah, he didn't come home last night." Denzel folded his arms defensively, wondering how he could slip away to get dressed and _wow_was it really cold in here or was it just him?

"He didn't show up to work this morning. Or yesterday."

Denzel froze, mostly in both senses of the word. "He didn't show up yesterday?" He could remember trying to reach Cloud on his phone before going out, but not being able to contact him. That was odd for Cloud, especially since he didn't call him back. Even if he was busy, he would, right?

"No, I tried to call him to talk about your mission today."

"So there_ was_a mission today."

Zack had to wonder how Denzel was still seeing with his eyes _that_narrowed. "Yeah, it's your first official mission. I'll be taking you out on the field."

"But what about Cloud?"

Zack sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. If I didn't have this mission I'd try to look for him. We're going to be briefed in half an hour, I'm hoping that I can convince the CO to let us look for him. He's a missing executive, right?"

Denzel shrugged, the doubt gnawing at him. If Cloud disappeared, his worry was that Shinra knew exactly where he was, not that Shinra would try to find him. It was no secret that Cloud didn't get on much with the executive board.

"I hope so. Where are we going?"

"I don't know. We'll get told at our briefing."

Denzel looked around the room, feeling rather small standing on the tile in his bare feet talking to Zack dressed in nothing much at all. Well, he could feel self-conscious later. If nothing else, the opportunity to convince their commanding officer - whoever that was - that searching for Cloud would be a better use of their time was a good starting point.

~o~o~o~o~

"He didn't come back last night?"

"I didn't see him," Denzel shrugged. "I called his office, he wasn't there yesterday either."

"Would he have just left?" Zack was pacing a hole in the carpet at this point. The two of them were occupying the briefing room, supposedly waiting for their first official mission together in SOLDIER as mentor and student, but instead more worried about the sudden disappearance of Cloud.

"Not without telling me. Not unless it was important." Denzel slid back into his chair, trying to seem relaxed despite his body being stiffer than a cactaur's spines.

Zack stopped his pacing and yanked a chair from under the table, flopping bonelessly into the leather seat once it had stopped spinning. "I don't like this."

"First Genesis-" Denzel fingered the note in his pocket as he spoke. "Now this..."

Taking the note out for the umpteenth time that hour, he looked over the contents once again. It had been sealed in an envelope, and while he had no wish to even be perceived as slighting Genesis, he had opened it to look as soon as he had realised Cloud was missing. Unfortunately, the note had provided no explanation, just a stiff, flowery apology from Genesis that tried to both apologise and at the same time avoid admitting doing anything wrong. The red SOLDIER probably would have been a better politician than a warrior.

Folding the note back into its envelope, Denzel just managed to shove it back into his pocket before the door slid open, a familiar figure striding through, trailing silver hair and black leather behind him as he walked.

"Zack, Denzel," Sephiroth greeted, standing stiffly at the entrance.

"Sir!" Zack said, pulling up in a quick salute. "You're back?" He had not seen Sephiroth since that night in Cloud's apartment, the General having been rapidly called to Wutai's front lines to turn the tides of Shinra's war, leaving Zack and the other Seconds as the only ones leading the entire contingent of Midgar's SOLDIERs.

"I arrived last night, but-" Sephiroth cleared his throat.

"Oh, sorry!" Denzel said in somewhat hushed and timid tones as he realised he had been sitting in the officer's chair at the head of the table. Jumping up from the seat, he hurried over to Zack's side and took a seat by his mentor - who had himself hurriedly sat up in his seat, turning all his attention to the looming General.

"You're to be sent to Banora," Sephiroth said as he sat down in the recently vacated chair. "It is the hometown of Genesis and Angeal, and we have reason to believe that they may have returned there. You are to accompany a member of the Turks who will be investigating. You are to act as protection only unless you are otherwise requested."

"Cloud's missing," Zack blurted out, to the surprise of Denzel and apparently, Sephiroth as well. "We haven't been able to find him."

Sephiroth schooled his surprise much better than the mousey-haired boy however, only raising an eyebrow as Zack dropped the news on him. "You are sure of this?"

"Yes, we're sure! He hasn't turned up to work in at least a day, and even Denzel can't find him."

"He did not appear at a lecture he was supposed to give today," Sephiroth said with the sort of look that demanded a thoughtful scratch of chin. "This is troubling."

"Permission to look for him, sir?" Denzel asked once he had mustered a small semblance of courage.

"No, you are still needed in Banora. However, I believe this is a case I should take up." Sephiroth turned to the inbuilt computer, ignoring the other two SOLDIERs in the room and typing rapidly into the keyboard. "I will check to see if he has left the Shinra building or if anyone has seen him." He looked up at the nervous two. "Do not worry. If I find anything, I will contact you."

"Yes, sir!" They had no choice but to salute and leave the room.

~o~o~o~o~

"So, Tseng, how-"

"Don't talk to me when I'm flying."

"Alright," Zack whined, leaning back in the helicopter and instead turning his head to face Denzel. "I think he's a bit grouchy."

Denzel wisely did not say anything.

"This is boring!" Zack complained, fidgeting in his seat and trying his hardest not to poke at any of the controls on the console in front of him.

Denzel wisely continued his policy of not saying anything, indeed he was keeping just as quiet as Tseng until their transport touched down on the overgrown grass of Banora. With more complaining, though greater efficiency than Denzel had, Zack unstrapped himself and his equipment from the helicopter, dumping their bags and weapons into the soft grass before helping Denzel out.

"Looks like this place hasn't seen anyone in a while," Zack said as he scouted their landing zone.

"You can't see it from the air," Tseng replied. "But it looks as if this place has not been tended to in a while. I want you two to split up and check houses. I will contact you if I need anything."

Zack just shrugged at the retreating figure of the Turk, turning instead to Denzel and shoving a bag of equipment into his arms. "Well, I guess that means we're on our own, Mouse."

"Where should I go?"

"Just stick with me," Zack said. "I know what he said, but I don't want you going off on your first mission."

The helicopter secure and their weapons ready, they trudged through the fields to Banora proper, the sleepy village under the hills that was the unlikely home of two of the most famous SOLDIERs in the world. Two of the SOLDIERs that had defected, no less. They reached the road soon enough, Denzel still checking every corner and shadow as if it would contain some sort of hideous, jawless monster ready to burst out at them at a moment's notice. Zack just strolled beside him nonchalantly, looking somewhat amused at the younger SOLDIER's jumpiness and looking for all the world like he should be whistling a jaunty tune.

"You see anything, Zack?"

"Just an abandoned village. Which, yeah, I guess that's pretty creepy." He kicked an overturned barrel that had been blocking the street, spoiled and decaying apples spilling out over the rough dirt. "Like everyone left without a word."

Each of the houses they checked were predictably abandoned themselves, some with stoves that had long since burned out, most of them with lights and appliances still on.

"It looks like they all left at once," Denzel said.

"At night, too."

"Night?"

"The lights and TVs. You don't leave them on in the day, do you?"

"What happened here?" A stupid question perhaps, but it was the most important one Denzel could think of. For an entire village to disappear without a sign of struggle or battle was unheard of.

"Maybe Tseng needs to check for knockout gas or something." Zack just shrugged and moved to the next house in the street. "I have no idea, this is way above my pay- hey, this is Angeal's house."

Zack pointed to the letterbox with the carefully stenciled name "Hewley" on the side, the door to the house still cracked slightly open and swinging gently in the breeze. With a glance to Denzel, they both took their broadswords in hand and approached the door.

With a nervous breath, Zack pushed open the door to his mentor's childhood home. Like so many of the lower class houses they had investigated the singular room was small and cramped with every possible function crammed into the available space. One wall was a rudimentary stove and sink, shelves lined with tattered books and proudly framed photographs on another. But dominating the space in the room was a wooden dining table with seating for three, an older woman slumped over in her seat face down in a pool of blood.

"Is that... Angeal's mother?" Denzel whispered from behind him.

"Yeah..." Zack replied softly, kneeling reverentially next to the woman. "He only had a few photos in his apartment, but she's in all of them."

"So he killed her, and... left his sword behind?"

"His sword?" Zack turned his head at that, following Denzel's finger to the far side of the wall where the Buster Sword was lying forlorn against the stove.

"It's clean," Denzel informed his mentor as he pulled the sword away from the wall to inspect it. "No, wait... some blood has been recently wiped off, but it hasn't been cleaned properly yet."

"I should take it," Zack whispered as he stood next to Denzel, though he made no move to pick up the blade. "It shouldn't be left here."

Denzel agreed; even he held the Buster Sword with a relic like reverence, though certainly for different reasons than Zack did.

"Tseng," Zack called into the radio. "We found Angeal's mother and his sword."

_Wait there_, was the immediate reply. _I'll be down to check for evidence. Don't touch anything._

"Zack?" Denzel looked puzzled at Zack, who was frantically unzipping one of the long equipment bags he carried and trying to fit the Buster Sword inside.

"I know." Zack sighed as he forced the zip up. "I just don't want the Turks getting their hands on it."

Denzel remained quiet at Zack shoved the equipment bag out of the door, even complying as his own bag was taken from him and dumped on the sword as a way to hide the evidence. He stiffened as soon as the bag hit the ground, senses he was just getting used to telling him that something, or someone, dangerous was near.

"Zack," he whispered.

"I know. I feel it too."

The older SOLDIER pulled his sword from his back, scanning the area to ascertain where the threat was coming from.

"Zack," a deep voice called from behind the building, followed by the appearance of Angeal several moments later. The large man was swinging a standard SOLDIER broadsword ahead of him, his eyes cast down and not meeting the emotional gaze of his pupil.

"You should have the sword," he said after a few moments of silence. "I am too tainted to hold it."

"You killed her!"

"That sword represents the honour of my family," Angeal went on, not even flinching at Zack's accusation. "I do not use it because it is not worth tarnishing my family's honour with blood."

"But it's alright to kill your family with it?"

Angeal's shoulders fell, the mask of the instructor slipping for just a moment. "I left it with her. If I can't trust myself with my honour, who better than my mother?" He pulled the bag containing the Buster Sword to his face, resting his forehead against the canvas covered hilt as a wing of pure white feathers erupted from his back. "I tried my best to teach you, Zack. But now- I'm the last person you should look up to."

"Don't say that- Angeal, wait!" But it was too late, in a swift movement Angeal was out of Zack's reach, taking flight over the heavy cliff that loomed over Banora.

~o~o~o~o~

"Angeal was here?"

Denzel looked between the distraught Zack and the stern faced Turk, reaching the conclusion that perhaps he should be the one to report here.

"Yes, sir," he said. "He didn't say much, and just left."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing important," Zack said. "I think he wanted to make sure I didn't follow him."

"Well, that's exactly what we're going to do," Tseng informed them, pointing to the large warehouse that dominated the far side of town. "It looks like they were based out of there. We're going to inspect it," he looked between the two SOLDIERS, "together."

Denzel picked up the equipment packs for them, trying to keep an inconspicuous eye on Zack as he did so. The other teenager seemed to be taking the visit with his mentor rather badly, his face glum and even the spikes on his hair seeming to droop down in depression. All he could do was try and pick up the slack, including hiding the Buster Sword from the Turk.

The warehouse wasn't exactly the most hidden base of operations that Genesis or Angeal could have chosen, with the large building looming over the small town of Banora it would have been one the first places anyone would look, but evidently that was exactly what they had been going for. Vehicle tracks were freshly laid down on the road, bypassing the village and instead driving north out of the town towards Corel. Footprints were visible in the mud, a lot of them. Zack and Denzel both took their swords in their hands, even Tseng drew his revolver from his jacket as they approached the door.

"Ready," Tseng whispered, motioning to the door which Zack promptly kicked down. They moved into the room quickly, scanning for any enemies while fanning out in the large - apparently abandoned - warehouse.

"They've moved on already?" Zack asked, looking around at the bare concrete walls. The place had been stripped bare, apart from the large posters advertising Banora Apple Juice and the great juicing machines in the centre of the room.

"Look around, if Angeal is still here then Genesis can't be far behind."

Denzel was not as certain as the Turk was. Angeal and Genesis, now having met them both, seemed entirely different in their manners and their motivations. Why would Genesis, who seemed so calculating and insistent on revenge be teaming up with Angeal, who seemed to be sliding a slow descent into madness.

If anything made sense about this whole thing, it would be up to Cloud to figure out. From what he knew of the story, Angeal and Genesis _had_ been working together, but their roles had been reversed. Angeal had been holding on to what humanity he could while Genesis had begun a nose dive into madness and megalomania, trying to create an army of his clones and attack Shinra force for force.

"What did they use this place for?" Zack said, kicking over a old barrel full of apples.

"Making juice?"

Tseng just gave Denzel a dirty look before he went back to rummaging through some of the desks on the side of the warehouse, looking for any papers that may have given a clue as to what went on in the hideout. Denzel just shrugged, it wasn't like the Turk had any better idea than they did of what was going on.

Slinging his sword back into the holster, Denzel went to look at the machinery, running a leather gloved finger over the dust that had settled on the rubber of the closest conveyor belt.

"Maybe this wasn't it," he said. Tseng and Zack looked at him, curious. "Well, this stuff hasn't been used. What if there's a basement or something?"

Tseng nodded to Zack, and the two of them spread out around the room, looking over the walls and throwing some of the bookcases to the ground, trying to look for any hidden passages or secret doors.

Denzel just stood in the center of the room, leaning against the machinery as the other two ransacked the place in their search. Surely if there were trucks there, it would have to be a large entrance... unless they carried out cargo through a crane, maybe?

"Hey, over here," Denzel said, pointing to the roof. The structure of the warehouse went all the way to to the top, but the walls didn't. There was a gap between the wall and the roof on the far end where a crane could move cargo from one part of the partition to the other.

"Why no door?" Zack said as he begin to clamber up the side of the wall, using the shelves and posters for support until he was able to grip the edge and pull himself over. "Hey, look. A secret base."

Denzel moved over to under him, helping to lift Tseng high enough for Zack to pull him over, after which he himself ran up the wall until he was high enough to reach Zack's hand, grasping it and letting the other SOLDIER pull him over.

The room definitely had the secret base vibe about it, plenty of weird looking science equipment, tubes and papers scattered everywhere. It looked more like a secret lab than a base, in fact.

"That's a mako infusion chamber," Zack said, walking up to the massive tank and tapping on its glass. "For making SOLDIERs."

"Not quite." Tseng looked over the tank next to him. "There's no mako. Whatever this is, it's not something Shinra uses."

"You sure about that?" Denzel muttered, only having the chance to look mortified by it once the words had escaped his mouth. Oh, that was not a good thing to say to a Turk. "I just mean... uh, I'm sure there's plenty of stuff the science department has that we don't know about. Sir."

He wasn't sure if that was just digging himself deeper or not, but Tseng wordlessly turned back to the chamber, giving a few experimental taps before leaving it alone to collect the scattered papers.

"What should we do, sir?" Zack asked once they had been standing around for long enough.

"I am calling in a team to check for more evidence," Tseng said, not looking up from his work. "Wait for their transport, you may return to Midgar when they arrive."

"That won't be necessary."

All three of them dropped what they were doing to look at the figure standing in the rafters above, red coat billowing out behind him as he held a magical ball of fire in one gloved hand.

"Genesis." Denzel swore under his breath, moments before he was forced to leap out of the way of the exploding fireball. He hit the ground with a roll, desperately patting out the flames sprouting along his uniform as he got to his feet.

"My apologies," Genesis said with a bow, stretching his black wing out in the cramped space of the rafters. "I have no wish to injure you, but I will not let Shinra get their hands on this." He gave Denzel one last pointed look before leaping through the hole in the roof, his wing flapping powerfully behind him.

The flames were catching fast, the wooden framed warehouse proving to be the perfect ingredient for a flaming death trap. The smoke was already thick and black, fogging up his vision as he searched for the other two. He could see Zack struggling to his feet in the corner, and against the other wall-

Tseng was slumped against the glass tank, a thick smear of blood trailing down cracked glass to where his head hung listlessly.

Denzel rushed forward to get the Turk, only to be thrown back by a torrent of flames as one of the gas pipes burst, showering the area in a relentless spill of fire.

"Go!" he heard Zack shout over the rush of the flames. "I'll get Tseng, just get out of here."

He got back to his feet, covering his face with a sleeve to protect him from the blistering heat. He couldn't see Tseng or Zack through the wall of flame, only hearing the other SOLDIER as he broke his way through the scattered furniture to reach the Turk.

He obeyed the order however, rushing towards the closest wall and slamming into it with his shoulder. He could feel the wood crack and splinter at the blow, but most importantly he could feel that there was no heat seeping through the wall. The fire was only on their side, for now.

He charged the wall again, breaking through the wood in a shower of dust and fragments and landing on the other side in a clumsy heap. Rolling over twice to make sure there were no more flames stuck to his clothes, he jumped to his feet and took another look at the back room he had come from.

The fire had spread to the ceiling quickly, happily burning the ceiling trusses that were currently creaking and groaning under the weight and their weakened state. It had not spread down to the warehouse he was in, but at any moment the ceiling could give way and bury them all in a pile of flames and embers. He waited there for a few moments, hoping that any second Zack would come through the hole he created, carrying Tseng over his shoulder. He picked up the equipment bags they dropped earlier, slinging both over his shoulder as he slowly walked to the front of the door, his walk slowed even further by his constant checking over his shoulder for Zack.

He knew he should have been running, but loyalty was one thing Denzel didn't do by halves. Every step he took closer to the entrance, was another thought he had to put down to drop everything and run back to help Zack.

The ceiling creaked loudly and shifted, the flames having finally eaten enough of the wooden supports to weaken the whole structure. Denzel took one look at the roof and ran, sprinting as fast as he could as the building fell down around him, huge flaming beams of wood smashing into the ground just steps away from where he was running.

He dove through the front entrance just as that too collapsed, only making it through the brute force of ramming the door out of his way with his shoulder. He was almost certain that he was on fire again, though at least he had narrowly escaped being crushed.

A few rolls and frantic pats of his uniform put the fires out, but Denzel did not let himself stop to catch a breath. He let go of the equipment bags and stood from the ground.

Only to find Tseng lying on the grass nearby, while Zack loomed over him with an incredibly unimpressed expression on his face.

"I told you to run."

Denzel felt very short at that moment. He was only worried for Zack, after all, and...

"I went through the back wall," Zack explained, his voice briefly a placating tone before he stole a look back at Tseng, his voice hardening. "But there is a _reason_ you are to listen to my _orders_Denzel. You would have died, and for what?"

"I'm sorry, Zack." He was, too. Zack was his mentor in SOLDIER now and he feared disappointing Zack nearly as much as he feared disappointing Cloud. It was beginning to seem that his teenage years were going to be just as everyone had described. He had been sure he was never going to be_ that _sort of teenager, that he was always going to make Cloud and Tifa proud.

It was starting to seem like no matter how good his intentions were, his actions were never going to come out right.

"This is the last time you disobey an order of mine, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

Even Zack seemed to wince at that. _Sir_.

"Let's get going," Zack said with a heavy sigh. "We need to call this in and get some transport out. Tseng's not going to be flying anytime soon."


	22. Hangover

Cloud groaned, his vision wavering between too dark and too bright, with not enough detail to make out anything in either shade of brightness. His head was pounding like he'd drunk an entire bar's worth of alcohol and everything felt slow and sluggish. He shifted, his limbs feeling groggy and heavy only to find that he was lying down on a bed, wrists and ankles strapped down.

"What the-?" he thrashed in the bed, trying to free himself from the restraints only to shift and creak the metal of the bed himself.

"He's waking up!" someone yelled in the distance, or was it near him? He couldn't tell.

"Who are you?" Was it Gast again, or Aerith? He looked out into the bright white light, but this was harsh and seemed to seep around his eyeballs to pierce into his brain, not the soothing light he imagined in the lifestream. He could feel the world rattle and as reality started to come back to him he started to hear the sound of... a car? He was in a car, being taken somewhere.

He could barely feel it, but something pierced his arm and it was suddenly hurting, a dull pounding pain in the muscle that slowly faded as he lost control of his limbs and his world blanked out once again.

It seemed like an instant that he woke again, unmoving this time - but who knew how long it had been. He lay very still as the world returned to him, his mind trying to process what had happened through the fog that was pressing down on it. He had been drugged, that much was obvious, but he couldn't figure out why. He'd been bound to a bed... in a car? An ambulance, then... had he been injured? Was he in a hospital? He tugged subtly on his arm- still tied down.

He tried to remember the last thing he could, but it wouldn't come to him. He was in his office, talking to Elena and then... blank. No, he struggled to realise as adrenaline mixed with mako in his blood to push back the malaise. That would likely be before, if he was drugged his memory would not return to him for a while.

He stilled himself, trying to keep his breathing even. He could hear movement, but not from where. Certainly in the same room, but if he tried to concentrate- yes, someone was moving towards him. The hairs on his arm stood up. They were getting close now, he could hear the rustle of a coat, and the clinking footsteps of shoes - dress shoes, not boots - on a tile floor.

More rustling of the coat, and the person walked away. Cloud relaxed, trying to count out his breathing. He couldn't escape like this, couldn't think past whatever he had been drugged with. The adrenaline and mako were doing their work, but they would impair his thinking even further, push him towards action and fight. He needed a way out.

He tested the restraints, not tugging on them to draw any attention to himself, but slowly pulling back his arm until the leather became taut, drawing it closer and closer to himself until he could feel it stretch and loosen.

Just a little further and he could hear it begin to creak, until a sharp pinging sound echoed too loudly in the room and the strap fell away, the flimsy buckle holding it in place snapped under the strain.

He could hear a voice shouting, but could not make out the words.

They must have heard him. Cloud tried to look out, but his vision was still not entirely there and all he could make out were shifting blurs of colour. Frantically he grabbed the other wrist restraint, abandoning all hope of unbuckling the thing and just tearing it off with sheer strength.

"Help me hold him down!"

He could barely make out the words, but whatever they said it was not good. A shape emerged from the direction of the noise and he lunged, tipping the bed on its side and dragging it with him by his still bound ankles. He grabbed at the blur, clawing and punching with everything he had until they were both dragged down to the floor.

He pulled himself off the man, focusing on getting his ankles untied from the mangled gurney. He snapped both of them off just as he could hear more footsteps approaching.

Crouching down behind- they were cupboards, he could see that now, stainless steel cupboards like you'd see in a hospital. He could see the other figure emerging behind him and he jumped, leaping over the cabinets in a lunge that was clumsier than he wished, knocking over equipment and detritus as he slid over the cabinet and fell on the floor. He could see at least the figure now, looming over him with a syringe in hand, face hidden behind a white surgical mask. His eyes focused on the syringe and he grabbed for it, twisting the man's wrist with a sickening crunch as he pushed the - doctor, he guessed - up against a wall, his other hand wrapped firmly around the man's throat.

The man screamed, a sound that was so painful to Cloud's hearing that he could feel the noise getting into his brain and hammering the inside of his skull.

"What have you used on me? What is_ that_?" he growled, loosening his fingers enough to let the man speak.

With great effort, the doctor managed to choke out the word "sedative".

"What kind?"

A few gasps and wheezes, but that was all he got. Frustrated, Cloud yanked open the man's coat and pawed through the varied pockets, finally producing a capped syringe.

He squinted at the label, trying to force the letters to come into focus. He knew that name. You could make it from a plant, not a painkiller... for surgery. He'd never had to use it since he avoided surgery at any cost, but that didn't make sense... they wouldn't use it if he were in a hospital. They would have far better sedatives than the one he could make from a poisonous plant because there were no drug manufacturers anymore.

He narrowed his eyes at the doctor. "Who are you people?"

The doctor just stared back at him.

He let go of the throat, letting the man fall and slump down to the floor. Cloud shrugged, reaching down to check the man's coat. The drug came with an antidote, something they would keep on them in case they gave too high a dose in the first place. He found it in an inside pocket, a few syringes of the drug and the antidote wrapped together with a rubber band. The label... he could see if he focused, that was right. He really, really hoped it was right.

Uncapping the syringe, he rolled up his sleeve and jabbed it into his arm, pressing down the plunger despite the numbing pain of the drug spreading into his muscle.

Funny... the world wasn't supposed to be so blurry... not anymore...

He fell to the floor, blackness slowly claiming his vision until it was all he could see.

~o~o~o~o~

Ugh...

Cloud pushed himself up from the floor, stretching his arms to try and get the cold and weakness out of them. He stared down at this bicep, frowning and plucked the syringe that was still hanging out of his arm.

Had he really just injected it straight into the muscle? That was a stupid idea, it was going to hurt for weeks.

He scrambled to his feet, the world swaying a bit too much for his liking, his head not quite as clear as it should be, but at least the poison was gone. He needed to find his way out of here...

But first...

He stumbled over to the nearest sink and retched, splattering blood and bile down the metallic surface. His gripped the sink by its side in a valiant effort to keep himself upright through the convulsions. When they finally stopped, he let himself sink to his knees, pressing his burning forehead against the cold metal of the counter.

He stayed there for a moment, eyes closed and his throat burning, his body still trying to cough out the last of his stomach's contents. His brain was yelling at his body to get up, get up and get to safety, but his muscles were just not listening.

With a sigh he stood back up, trying to piece together his situation as best as he could. The drug would still be lingering in his system, and he would be feeling the effects for some time.

He spat as much of the foul taste out of his mouth and ran the tap in the sink, washing away much of the gore from the basin and his hands.

His hands? He looked at them, the blood mixed with water to make interesting swirls as it dripped down his forearms, but when had he got blood on his hands?

He looked back at the room, the one doctor still lying slumped against the wall - he was only now able to see that the man's windpipe had been crushed - and over the counter...

Oh.

He could see the man he had first attacked blind, parts of his chest ripped open and exposing bare ribs, his throat torn, his jaw nearly entirely detached from his head and dropping down to the floor.

Well, he certainly _hoped_he hadn't been taken to a hospital for a legitimate reason. If he had... well, lucky for him that he'd already just vomited himself dry when that thought crossed his mind.

He cupped his hands under the stream and sipped as much water as he could from them. So, his muscles were weak but he still had his strength, even if his coordination was royally shot. If anything, that was worse. He had just seen what his strength could do if it wasn't properly held in check.

Rinsing his face and turning off the tap, he took one last thought at his situation. He was wearing a surgical gown, tied loosely enough at the back so that he would look ridiculous running through the hallway with his arse hanging out the back. His materia and thus his sword were nowhere to be seen. He stripped off the gown, shivering naked in the cold room as he made a quick check of his body. No new wounds, that was a relief.

Well, he needed clothes and perhaps a disguise would be the best bet for that. Stripping the still intact corpse, he dressed himself in the doctor's clothes, tightening the belt on the pants that were a bit too wide for him and rolling up the sleeves that were just a bit too long. It wasn't that he was short, but why did everyone else in the world have to be so damned tall? All that he needed now was the identity badge - Shinra, he noted with an air of equal parts dread and anger - which he clipped to the belt.

Well, it was time to see where he was. Straightening his clothes, he practiced his stride over to the door and walked straight outside. No checking, no glancing over his shoulder, just look natural... and slightly drunk, given the way his muscles were deciding to disobey him. He shoved his hands in his pockets to still them and began his search of the building.

~o~o~o~o~

The building was a maze, and certainly no type of hospital that Cloud has ever had the misfortune of being in. Past the corridor that held the surgery room, the building fanned out into a network of iron and concrete, all held together with a mesh of industrial warning signs. Maybe no hospital, but he had been in - and destroyed - enough Shinra reactors to know when he was crawling through their dilapidated tunnels.

He shrank behind another crate as a guard patrol walked past, ducking his head to make sure that his outlandish hair would not appear from behind his cover. He had discovered quite early that the doctor disguise was not a particularly good one, since apparently there had only been two doctors in the entire building and he had just killed them both - not only that, the first guard he had tried to bluff his way past had not even known of the presence of the doctors. Unfortunately for him the guard was too bulky to have easily stolen his uniform, and unfortunately for the guard Cloud still didn't have enough muscle control to differentiate between a nose breaking tap and a skull pulping punch.

The first thing that he had noticed was that any exit was also heavily guarded, with four or more guards at each door, each of them carrying machine guns that Cloud didn't fancy trying to dodge until full control of his body returned to him. He had inevitably relented on that escape plan, and was now trying to get into the cargo bay to try and hitch a ride on the train that was currently being loaded - the presence of said train giving him a strong suspicion that he was currently in the Corel reactor.

"I don't give a damn, Dyne!" Cloud blinked in surprise, the booming voice echoing around the open walls being recognisable anywhere. He risked a peek over the crate to see Barret's enormous and distinctive frame pushing his way past the grouped up guards, Dyne - who he could vaguely remember Barret killing in the Corel prison many, many years ago - walking beside the giant of a man, trying to argue with him in a far more subdued tone. Well, comparatively subdued. He couldn't hear it from the other side of the room, at least.

"We're not paid to be guards," Cloud could hear Dyne grumble as the two men approached his hiding place. "Make a deal with the devil and he keeps changing the terms on you."

There was no way he was going to hurt Barret in an attempt to escape. He shrugged off the doctor's coat, leaving himself in the dress shirt and slacks, and made sure his badge was visible on his belt. Maybe he could pass himself off as a just another office worker, not as a doctor.

"I know what you mean," Cloud said nervously as he walked out from his hiding spot into the sight of the two suspicious workers. "I got s- sh." He inwardly cursed as he caught himself slurring his words.

Barret and Dyne exchanged a knowing look. Well, Dyne looked knowing, Barret just looked a bit confused. "Moonshine," Dyne said with a wink.

"Moonshine?" Cloud nearly forgot to close his jaw as he gaped awkwardly back.

"Second day hangover, we call it." Dyne gave Barret a none-too-subtle shove to the shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll cover for you."

"Uh, yeah. E'ryone gets it."

Cloud flicked his eyes between the two men, unable to place if the confusion he was feeling was from the drugs or their behaviour. Still, he fell into step behind the two as they walked through the guarded doors. The reason was something to do with a horse's mouth, but he just wasn't quite able to make the connection just yet.

"So, who are you?"


End file.
